


Things that could have been

by AstralPrince



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Corruption, Dark Magic, Elf/Human Relationship(s), Family Drama, Fantasy, Father-Son Relationship, Half-Elf Callum (The Dragon Prince), Light Magic, Magic, Mentor/Protégé, Multi, My First Fanfic, Not TTM compatible, Post-Season/Series 03, Primal Magic, Vampire!Viren, Very AU, What-If, Wish Fulfillment, no beta we die like men, send help
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-23 07:01:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 43,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23207515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstralPrince/pseuds/AstralPrince
Summary: Callum and Rayla are a thing now and they are enjoying this new peaceful world they have created. The cycle seems broken, but there is darkness on the horizon. Not everyone is willing to try, old scars get torn open and when Callum discovers something that no elf before him had, the dragon queen begins to question his parentage.
Relationships: Aaravos & Callum (The Dragon Prince), Aaravos/Sarai (The Dragon Prince), Amaya/Janai (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 148
Kudos: 309
Collections: Not Just Human





	1. Forgotten Ties

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. I'm both a new writer and new to this site so any help is appreciated. I'll gladly fix any mistakes! Just please be nice to me when you point them out. English is not my first language.
> 
> Also, just putting this here: I came up with this semi-crack idea for my own amusement and because I like the idea. I love to explore and create all kinds of new scenarios. Please be open-minded and just enjoy this read. Canon will continue when season 4 rolls around the corner!

_Step._

_Step._

_Left._

_Twist._

The moon shone brightly in the night sky. It's cool light sang the day's creatures to sleep, and brought the nocturnal beings out. The world turned silver for a bit, and then everything faded back into the shadows. It was peaceful, in all honesty. Not even the various noises from the wildlife disturbed the young couple dancing under the moon. 

The two held hands as they danced slowly through the moonshine and around the hidden grove. It wasn't like the Silvergrove, but the glowing flowers and curtains of vines made up for it. The melodaisies played a romantic tune, almost as if they knew about the young couple. Above them all the stars rejoiced and cheered as if a long lost child finally came home.

"I love you. Have I told you that today?" He asked honestly and tenderly. 

In response she laughed and replied wryly, "oh, only around twenty times. I love you too, Callum." 

Vivid green meet pale lilac when they both came closer to each other, almost touching but still too far away. Just as they were centimeters from each other they pulled apart once more. This was moonshadow ballet, and the best part was yet to come. They bowed to each other in a fluid motion, like the mischievous summer breeze blew them down and a wave carried them away. However, then they quickly leaped into action once they reached their final circle, their final move. He spun around in the air while she mirrored him on the ground. Then they came together at last. The dance was over when they shared a soft chaste kiss.

"Rayla: That. Was. Amazing!" Callum exclaimed, the only reason why he wasn't breathless was because of his connection to the sky. 

Laughter was his answer, and a happy face his reward. The former assassin's eyes only held warmth for her human and his antics. To her there was no elf in all of Xadia who could compare to him. Sure there may be some more brave, some more skilled and even some far more handsome, but nobody was as "Callum" as Callum was. To her he felt like a beacon. A light that was pulling them all towards a better future.

"You weren't that bad either. Although there are a few things that you could improve, for example next time: don't fall on yer face, dummy. Moonshadow ballet isn't one of yer Katolian court dances." 

He groaned, but his smile stayed on. Well, until it fell from his face moments before he began to shiver. 

Immediately Rayla was at his side making sure he was unharmed. She knew that he was not playing with her. His eyes told her that this wasn't a joke or prank. However, she had no idea what was going on. She _hated_ it when she didn't know what was going on. 

"That felt like... like cold raindrops on my back. It didn't hurt but where did that come from? Is it because of my sky arcanum?" He blinked to clear his eyes. 

"I don't think so. Sky has always been a kind of in-the-moment kind of magic. I'm no expert, but it doesn't make much sense. Then again yer human so sense goes out of the window." 

"Gah!" There it was again, "this time it felt like someone dragging their nails over my back!" 

He abruptly shot up and summoned his wings. There was an urge to fly high that he couldn't ignore. Deep down a tiny part of him screamed that he needed to be up there. Now. And so he complied regardless of Rayla's peeved shouting. Two wing beats later and the feeling vanished. It was replaced by a warmth that reminded him of his mother's hugs. It was a feeling of home, of belonging and things being right. Callum closed his eyes and soaked it up into himself.

When he opened them again he was surrounded by stars. Everywhere he turned the night sky surrounded him. The moon shone majestically above, but the countless stars captured his attention. They twinkled in a pattern that seemed as familiar as an old lullaby to him. One shone especially bright that night. Far brighter than any other star up there.

No... Not brighter, bigger. It came closer. Callum realized far too late what was happening when he collided chest first with something very bright and very hot that wasn't burning him for whatever magical reason. He instinctively curled around it and held it closer to his heart. It was the same feeling, the same warmth he felt when he first held a newborn Ezran. It felt right.

When he landed in the grove again Rayla sprinted to his side. She was worried, but now so full of awe. It came close to the look she had given him when Callum had managed to connect to the sky, but now it wasn't sky and he didn't connect with anything. At lest he thought so. Still, as amazing as her boyfriend was he was not spared from her teasing, and this was an opportunity the moonshadow elf would not waste.

"Callum? You have some stardust on yer... everything. Glitter somewhere else and don't get it on ma clothes." 

Of course he tackled her into a hug as soon as the words left her mouth, getting the sparkly dust all over them both. The grass below was soft and dry, the perfect place to just lay down and enjoy the moment. They had stargazed like this often before so this was nothing new, but somehow each time still felt special. One was feeling luckier than the other to be there. 

"You know, an old legend says that whenever there are shooting stars, a new star mage is born somewhere."

"Really?" Now he was curious.

"Aye. They are very rare as well. Only one is born every few generations." Rayla said while she looked up at the night sky. 

"I wish I could do star magic too. Do you think it's possible for a person to connect to more than one arcanum?" Asked Callum in a hushed tone. His excitement earned him a wry smile.

"Ah hope not. With how rare they are some old stick in the mud would demand you become his apprentice." 

"And then we wouldn't be able to do things like this anymore." He finished for her.

Rayla nodded solemnly, "Callum? I... I don't want to keep you from leaning magic." 

Admitting this out loud left a salty taste in her mouth. It was the truth, and really didn't want to keep him, but at the same time she didn't want to lose him either. He could learn sky magic from Ibis at the spire, but if he really decided to dive into another source then he would need to leave. The thought of being separated from Callum made the warmth inside her turn cold enough to freeze all the butterflies in her chest. However, one look into forest green eyes showed her that her worries were for naught. 

"Rayla, you are the most amazing person I know, and anyone who would trade you for some bits of magic is a fool. I can learn like I did before. All I need is you around and then everything will be okay. Remember, we can make the impossible possible!"

"Ah remember...," She whispered, "together we can do anything." 

They rolled around into a side hug to put their foreheads together. How could she forget? They were tied together by more than just vows and the declaration of love. The Tues that bound then ran far deeper than earthblood roots and were more vast than the starry sky. Their connection was forged from trust, blood and the incredible journey they went on to bring prince Azymondias home. 

And yet something told her that it wasn't over yet. A phantom wind whispered that it was only the beginning.

"Come on, let's go home. I'm sure that Ethari is making dinner and you don't want to miss that." 

At the mention of food the human jumped up and skipped beside her, all ready to go. Ever since the Silvergrove refused to undo Rayla's ghosting the magical tinker had moved to a new home. He built it near the adoraburr meadow, right into a gigantic root that sprang out of the ground. Soon enough the smell of dew and moss became home just as much as the smell of jelly tarts and sandstone to Callum. It was an added bonus that somehow the adoraburrs would always find ways into their home regardless of how much Ethari made the house "burr-proof".

This was where they belonged. They had moved in as soon as the letter from Ethari reached them at the storm spire. He'd asked them for their forgiveness and offered both a place to stay in Xadia, which was very much still getting used to having humans present. It helped a bit that it was the sunfire and moonshadow elves who spoke in favor of humanity. Both types of elf were very much known for their harsh judgement, in contrast to the rather soft earthblood, or the emotional tidebound elves. 

It has been almost two years since that day. Sometimes Callum wondered how long it would take for the land to heal it's scars, and for the people to stop fighting. However, every time he got stuck brooding, Rayla reminded him that the cycle was broken already. It was only a matter of time now. 

Rayla did not change much in these two years, besides switching her assassin's clothes for the proud dragon guard armor. Her horns grew a tiny bit more and her eyes slimmed just enough to make then almond shaped. Besides that she was still the same, except for the occasional ponytail. Something that couldn't be said about Callum. 

He had grown taller than her, and yes horns do count. His eyes narrowed, sharpened without losing their curious sparkle. After enough peer pressure he let his brown hair grow to his shoulders, where it now curled lazily. One strand always fell onto his nose though, regardless of what he did to keep it in check. He was wearing casual moonshadow clothes that consisted of a simple short sleeved shirt and pants with boots. Nothing fancy. 

They reached for each other's hand at the same time and still blushed when they noticed. Even at 16 years of age they still acted like lovesick doves sometimes. According to Ethari it was adorable to watch. 

"Something is wrong." Rayla suddenly spoke up. 

She looked around, but couldn't see anything so she forced herself to appear calm. If there really was a threat nearby it would regret messing with her. Likewise, Callum readied a small aspiro to blow the danger away, should it come to a fight.

* * *

Life had not been kind to the former high mage of Katolis. He still liked to call himself lord Viren, but they all knew that those times were long over. It had taken him months to even sit up without assistance, any form of magic was out of the question in that condition. Almost a year was spent before he could stand on his own two feet. It worried Claudia. It broke her heart and sucked all the life out of her soul to see the only human who still cared for her in such a pitiful state. 

Three months after Viren's revival the cocoon of her father's bug friend had ripped open with an horrible sharp squelching, a sound much like a ripping tendon mixed with breaking glass. What crawled out of there looked human, but she knew it wasn't, not entirely at least. The man had slanted golden eyes and dark brown hair. His face could win over any female or male he wanted, but the thing that interested her the most was his voice. It was melodic, feminine yet masculine. It was as mysterious and alluding as the man himself and he knew it. "Aaron", as he called himself, was very much aware of it and he used it to his advantage all the time.

One could only describe him as perfect, if not for the single brown strand of hair that always fell onto his nose, regardless of what he did to keep it in check.

"What is on your mind?" He chirped without honest interest. 

Claudia almost didn't answer just to spite him, but in the end her need for social interactions became too much for her to bear. She opened up like a pearl oyster, practically begging him to take her most valuable treasure away.

"I miss my old life." She finally mumbled defeated, "I miss learning magic from Dad. I miss Soren, even though he's a jerk and a traitor... I miss the castle, and my room, and I even miss lady Opeli's lectures." 

She started to cry. In between some hiccups her words were hard to understand, but still sharp enough to cut any caring heart, "What I did was necessary, we did it to safe humanity! So why? Why is everyone turning away from us now? The elves are the evil ones for treating us humans like that!"

The pity party or dismissal that she had expected didn't come however, for her only found sympathy in these golden eyes. It made her realize that he knew how she felt. He knew and he could relate to her, which in turn made it easier for her to talk about it. She sat down on the cold floor of the cave they were still in. For too many times has she been reminded of how many holes were in her once pristine dress. It was cold, she was cold. She missed her room in the castle. She missed the library, her hot brown morning potion and she missed Callum. The last part must have slipped out by accident because Aaron perked up. 

It wasn't his real name, but he said it was close enough and who was she to judge? Claudia would call him by his chosen name, if he wanted it.

"Aaron, is there any spell that can free Callum from whatever that wretched elf did to him?" She asked hopefully, "can we free him?" _Can I get him back?_

In response Aaravos hummed softly as he considered her question. The elf in question was a moonshadow, and he knew they loved their silly little oaths. Maybe he could help Viren's daughter, but not with magic. At lest not directly. There were many ways to split a couple apart. He only needed to discuss which one would be the best for the human girl. 

Oh, Aaravos couldn't wait to meet this "Callum" that Claudia was always taking about. A little human prince would be so very easy to use. 


	2. Calling Me Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I'm doing the series justice. Please enjoy chapter two! Brought to you by coffee, sugar and... me! :D

"Well... At least it's not an attack." 

Sweat still ran over cold skin, as the adrenaline rush faded like the setting sun. It was never bad to be too careful, but it was better to be positively surprised by good news. When their hearts calmed down once more the peaceful sounds of the forest came back. Suddenly the fluorescent blue of the flowers and the soft rustle of the leaves became so much more intense. It was like time stood still while relief flew through both of their veins, relaxing them like clear water from a hot spring.

Rayla still glared at her boyfriend's comment. She was still on edge and slightly embarrassed that a mere shadowhawk surprised her. After so many years of being around Ethari she should have recognized it from far away, and yet she didn't. With a sigh she realized that the paranoia still housed in her head even years after their epic adventure. Two years were a long time, but apparently not long enough. Sometimes she wondered if there would be a time where she could let go and relax. 

As she fell deeper into memories that were best left forgotten Callum sandwiched her hands between his own. When she looked up into his warm eyes she felt her worries dissolve. All her bad thoughts drifted away like tiny shells in the seafoam. After a bit she offered him a smile and off they went. Callum put the shadowhawk into his bag for safekeeping, so that it wouldn't break or get lost on their way home. They silently agreed to read it after dinner, since it wasn't marked as a priority or emergency. 

The way home wasn't long, but it was long enough for Callum to get overly excited over glowing blue vines and glittering fern again. Sightseeing never got boring to him, and watching him never felt to make Rayla smile. When the dorkiness got to critical levels they finally made it to the house without any incidents.

The smell of stuffed mushrooms with moonberry sauce and sliced sungrain bread assaulted the teenager's noses and led them into the kitchen of the house. Indeed, Ethari was cooking dinner and once the magical tinker noticed his favorite couple he smiled and greeted them. 

"How nice. I don't have to shout, nor do I have to hunt you down."

"Ah made sure he found his was home this time." Declared Rayla between sips of moonberry juice. 

After a offended squeak Callum defended himself by mumbling, "I always come back though...?" 

"Of course," teased Ethari the prince, "later rather than sooner. But enough of this, let's eat. I have a big announcement for Rayla after dinner."

With that said they started to dig in. Ethari's cooking was nowhere nearly as good as Runaan's, but it was still delicious. The tinker's desserts could be called addictive even, and it was highly recommended to hide any leftovers or else they wouldn't see the next sunrise. Callum wondered how his aunt was doing and if sunfire food was anything like moonshadow, but logic said it probably wasn't. He almost wanted to ask Rayla if they could go on a culinary tour one day. However, the food was to good, the atmosphere too homely and the time not right, so he decided to ask later. 

Once the scraping of wooden spoons on glass plates couldn't be heard anymore they worked together to clear the table. Drying dishes was easy if one had a sky arcanum and Ethari pretended not to see the magic used in the house. One they were done they gathered together again on the kitchen table. Fern hang behind them as nature's curtains while the moonlight fought to enter the house through stained glass windows. Ethari kept magic candles around that didn't burn as fast as human made candles, but were far brighter. Two of these woks of art illuminated the letter with the seal of the dragon queen that he held in his hand. 

"This arrived earlier today." Ethari told them with a gentle smile and soft tone.

Rayla opened the letter with a frown on her face. Her brows knit together as she read the carefully written cursive letters. And then again. And again. It took her a total amount of seven readings before she could believe it. With a breathless smile she looked up at her boyfriend and adoptive uncle.

"I'm an ambassador. The dragon queen named me the ambassador of the moon!" She squealed. 

Ethari stood up to hug her and congratulate her immediately. As caught up in their celebration they didn't notice the hopeless confusion on Callum's face until it was too late already and the human's mind was already far away. A few snaps brought him back with a start, and he ran his hand through his hair in embarrassment. He didn't mean to let his mind drift. 

"So... What does an ambassador of the moon do?" He tried to ask casually. Of course, as a prince he knew what a human ambassador does, but the key word was: human. This was an elven thing, and even after two years there was still so much that Callum had to learn. Fortunately neither Rayla not Ethari held it against him. On the contrary, Ethari was a very patient and understanding teacher. 

"Each source has at least one ambassador. They are selected every generation, the exception being the stars, and it is their duty to travel around and spread positivity about their own source. Then once these ambassadors are old enough to pass their title over to the next generation, they become eligible to apply for the position of guardian or dragon guard." 

Callum's eyes lit up, "so it's like a pilgrimage?" 

"Yes," hummed Ethari, "and no. It's close enough though. The current moon guardian is a friend of yours: Lujanne. I think you should visit her and tell her the good news."

Callum and Rayla shared a look. They still remembered the disastrous last time they went to the moon nexus. The only reason they had to believe that they were welcome there was seeing Ezran fly on Phoe-Phoe. Lujanne might very well still be salty about the mess they caused. They dared to hope that two years were enough time for her to forgive them.

"When do we leave?" Leave it to Callum to be the optimistic one. 

But there was something else that they had to talk about. Rayla had totally forgotten about the shadowhawk that had landed near them a few hours ago. They had agreed to read it later, and now seemed like a good time. Reaching into Callum's bag she pulled it out and started to read out loud, figuring it wasn't too personal.

> _"Dear Callum, dear Rayla,_
> 
> _Hi. It's me, Ezran! You won't believe who came back to us a few days ago: Claudia. She apologized a lot and said she wasn't with her dad anymore. Soren is still unsure, but I believe everyone deserves a second chance. She hasn't done dark magic once since she came back too!_
> 
> _I hope you can come and visit us here. She wants to apologize to you in person._
> 
> _Love, your brother king Ez!"_

The king Ezran was crossed out and a crooked Ez was doodled beside it so she read it as such. Part of her stomach dropped as she thought about the witch. Another part of her wanted to believe that she could change, but Rayla wasn't one to easily forget. Ruunan always told her: forgive, but never forget. It stuck, and it had saved her life before. She looked at Callum with uncertain eyes to see that his weren't much different. 

He wanted to believe that he could have his childhood friend back. Callum didn't hate her, but he hated what she had become. When they were children he'd often tease her for dressing up like a witch and now she was a real one. She stunk of death and decay, of ashes and lost life. He really wanted to give her a chance, but it was hard to forget how she tried to hurt them. Still, he felt like he should go and see if it was true. Ezran was right that everyone deserved a second chance. _Well, maybe everyone besides Viren,_ he thought to himself.

Ethari ripped them both out of their thoughts, "how did the wee human king get a shadowhawk? Hm?" 

He raised a white brow and peered down at the two clearly guilty reasons why one of his hawks had been in human hands. He didn't mind, but he would have loved it to be asked first. For the next few minutes Ethari made it very clear that they could have everything they needed, if only they asked for it first. He only dropped the subject when it became clear that both had understood him perfectly fine. Then he sat back down on the pile of pillows he used as a chair, leaned back and tried to soothe the headache that formed inside his head like an angry storm cloud.

"We should fly to the moon nexus first, talk to Lujanne, and then visit Katolis. That way it's only one trip, and Rayla can spread some moon magic positivity on the way in both Xadia and the pentarchy." Suggested Callum after some careful thinking. To him this approach seemed the most logical. It also earned him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Aye. Just this time we won't be chased by anything. This time we can enjoy the trip, but I have one condition: no more boats." 

"Hey, I said fly, didn't I? Now that I have these wings I want to use them!" 

Ethari laughed at that. He decided to go to bed early to be able to wake both of his kids the next morning. However as he did he couldn't keep himself from making one more jab at Callum.

"Be careful with what to get yourself into, Callum. You've never seen a skywing with sore wings before. If it's half as bad as they claim it is, then don't make promises you can't keep." 

With that he finally vanished into his very lonely bedroom. It just wasn't the same without Runaan around to keep his nightmares away, but he wouldn't drag his kids into his misery. What they had was pure and warm. There was no need to taint it.

* * *

Claudia looked stunning without the dirt and grime. What wonders a simple bath could do to a person. Aaravos introduced himself as Aaron, Claudia's alchemy teacher when he was first brought before the king a few days ago. To see a child sitting there was a surprise, but luckily nobody caught his muttered comments and calculative looks. 

Aaron enjoyed the castle as much as he enjoyed his freedom. He almost forgot what it felt like to walk the earth as being of flesh and blood again, after being bound to the mirror for so long. This time he made sure that his body could channel magic as well, the disastrous first attempt was still haunting his mind. However, the memories of his first time in an artificial human body were still vibrant and as clear as crystal. He wasn't angry at his love for leaving him for another man. He just wished he could have said goodbye.

Even almost two decades later Aaravos still knew which door lead to where in the castle, and soon enough he stood before the cursed mirror that held his true self. How much he wished to destroy the vile prison, but he didn't dare to. It was a unnecessary risk that he didn't want to take.

"Urgh, if I have to listen to one more speech about peace I'll- I'll..." 

The should of a closing door accompanied Claudia's ranting voice. She wasn't pleased with the current situation, much less the fact that her love interest was living in Xadia now. In Aaravos not so humble opinion it was no surprise that the curious prince had moved there. Compared to Xadia the pentarchy was rather dull. However it did amaze him that they were even allowing this. The elves that Aaravos remembered were stuck up purists and elitists that couldn't look past their own noses, and we're as innovative as a muddy pile of rocks. 

"What did they say this time?"

"These snobby sunfire elves say that humans could probably be seen as their equals, but only if we stop using dark magic. My magic doesn't turn everything bad! It helps people! They come in here, burn everything and then say we are the bad people?" She ranted, but not too loud. It would be very bad if anyone heard her talking about their honored guests like this.

Aaravos' golden human eyes hardened until they were sharp enough to cut a person's throat. He didn't need his original body to be intimidating, and he was as terrifying as he was mad at his people. A thousand years passed and they didn't change a bit. He was once one of the great ones, a member of a group of archmages sworn to protect the world, and he was the only one who had seen humanity's potential back then. 

"You know, this used to be my dad's office, study thingy. If we want to lay low and pretend I gave up on dark magic, maybe we shouldn't be here." Realized Claudia while he eyes went wide. 

"Perhaps." Agreed Aaravos. 

He stole one last glance at a very simple yet special pickle jar on the big shelf, right next to the window. It was empty now, but he could feel what had once been inside it. Then he left together with Claudia, casting a moon spell to turn them both invisible just to be sure. Thankfully Viren wasn't with them, and instead still recovering in the small house that had once belonged to Aaravos during his first time in Katolis. If he had known that the dark mage had let his ex-love die he wouldn't have been so kind when they first met. Still he had needed the human to escape, and now that he has served his purpose there was no point in dragging him around anymore. A broken toy was no fun after all, so he would have to wait for the human to rest up and heal.

Until then the castle was his to explore. Aaravos has dreamed of walking freely for too long to just sit idle now, while Viren was recovering. 


	3. On Wings Of Magic

The new day came soon, and yet both Callum and Rayla were already awake and ready to go. Well, more ready to go than awake, but it was enough to ensure they would not fly into any trees because of morning sleepiness. Courtesy of an very amused Ethari of course. Both had a bean shaped bag full of clothes, a few bottles of moonberry juice and a lunchbox on them. They insisted for a reason they didn't want to tell Ethari, but it had something to do with Lujanne and her infamous extravagant meals. As much as he tried to lure the story out of them both, they kept as shut as a pearl oyster.

It might have been only an hour but Ethari was missing them already. Not only was he still feeling guilty about Rayla's ghosting, he was also missing his heart. Maybe he would let one or two fluffy first friends stay with him for a bit. Really, his Callum and Rayla didn't have to know.

The two lovers were currently saying goodbye to the adoraburrs. Small drops of morning dew turned the grass of the meadow into a field of jewels as the light hit it. Some flowers dared to compete with the large pines' scent, making the crisp morning breeze smell fresh. They each had their arms full of the colorful little critters, holding them in a soft hug. Squeaking echoed around, accompanied by laughter as they enjoyed their last few hours together before they had to part. Eventually Callum leaned over to put his arm around Rayla, but he forgot the adoraburrs that were still stuck to his arms, legs and hair. He realized far too late that he had effectively burred them together with super glue in cotton ball form. 

"What did ya do now?" Laughed Rayla once she realized that they were stuck. Held together by the power of love and adorable burrs.

The mischievous adoraburrs only squeaked louder as if to say, "no! Stay with us!" but they had a trip to go on. No matter how much they begged to be taken along.

"Hey, how about this? When we get back I'm smuggling you lot some popper corn? Do we have a deal?" 

The burrs on Rayla rejoiced and jumped off with happy faces. The ones on Callum however all stared at him in unison with these big, begging, adorable eyes. He knew it wouldn't be easy to smuggle popper corn out of the house, but these little guys were just too cute. Popper corn was like human corn, sweet and yellow, but as the name suggested it popped into soft cloud-like snacks when it was ripe. Ethari kept some in a jar that wasn't popped yet. So, basically Callum stood between being buried under adoraburrs and having to smuggle edible mini bombs out of the house. With a sigh he gave up and promised the burrs their food. 

His reward was a kiss from Rayla that made him feel warm an fuzzy inside. Like a blowing feather that drifted on warm wind, he also drifted up and summoned his mage wings. The runes to summon them were now tattooed on his skin with moonshadow ink. Normally they were invisible, but they were still there, ready to be used whenever he needed them. 

Once the loose brown feathers had all fallen to the ground Rayla wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as tightly as she could. During the travel she move to sit on his back, but when they took off they loved to be close. It was much like a hug, just far more special. The wind pressed them together and Callum's feathers hugged Rayla like a blanket. They doubted that this would ever get old, and if it did then they would be old as well and it wouldn't matter anymore.

When the gigantic Xadian trees became smaller and the air tighter they stopped to dance and spin with the breeze, and instead leveled out. A month of walking would be reduced to a day's time. Rayla predicted they would arrive at the moon nexus when the sun set and the first stars appeared on the horizon. Until then she entertained her lovely prince by playing travel games with him.

"Guess what I see, it's green!" He called out, not caring about how loud he was since the only other beings around them were birds.

"Urgh... if it's another tree then I'm quitting."

"Nah, it's on the lake!" 

Rayla looked down, her keen eyes searching for anything green on the azure water. It glittered in the afternoon sun, reminding her of how fast time can pass if you are with a loved one. Then she saw it. She smirked in triumph.

"The waterlilies! The lilipads are green!" 

She laughed even more when Callum groaned in defeat. They didn't keep score but she was sure that she had beaten him almost every time now. Then again he usually only saw trees so he made it easy for her. Stars, she loved her dork.

"Fine, you won. How about we land and enjoy some moonberry juice? I could take a break." He asked her while he looked for a place to land regardless of her answer. 

However, when he dived down to the little green spot near the lake a black and green something zipped past them like an arrow. It was too big to be one, and to small for a cannon ball. Just when Callum started to worry he saw that it was a bird with long green feathers and a red and gold ribbon on its foot. Callum knew that bird and he felt tears gather in his eyes as he remembered it's owner. 

"That's a Xadian songbird. What's one doing here?" Asked Rayla oblivious of Callum's joy at seeing his step father's beloved pet again.

In return Callum explained to her who that bird was, followed by, "my step dad loved him. His name is Pip." 

Pip and Callum landed safely on the grassy area. As soon as the young mage dismissed his wings the songbird flew over to land on his shoulder. He was as proud and beautiful as Callum remembered him. The shimmering emerald green shone majestically amidst the black feathers, making Pip look like a small comet racing across the sky. The two rubbed beak and nose together. 

"I'm so sorry Pip. You probably went to look for dad..." 

Pip chirped in reply, as if he wanted to answer but couldn't. Callum furrowed his brows when the feeling of rain on his back returned. It was the same feeling that he'd felt after his midnight dance with Rayla. It same shudder had guided him to the shooting star, and it was now urging him to look into Pip's eyes. He did, and found that there was something in them that he couldn't quite explain. His step father's beloved pet had the exact same sparkle in it's eyes as Harrow had. 

"Callum...?" 

"Sorry! I must have spaced out. Let's take him with us. I'm sure Ez will love to see him again!" 

Rayla nodded. She held out her hand for the bird and let out a small gasp when he rubbed his head against hey palm. The friendly action made her smile warmly. The love of pets was just as pure, if not even more pure than the love of family members. She hadn't known Harrow personally, but she knew from Callum and Ezran that all the horrible stories about the evil bloodthirsty human king were wrong. Moments like this one reminded her that she did the right thing when she stopped being an assassin. 

They enjoyed their break for as long as it lasted. Callum gave Pip some of his food while Rayla pretended not to notice, then she gave the bird some moonberries while the young mage wasn't looking. They shared a laugh together before they stood up to get ready once more. Rayla looked for a pair of long-sleeved gloves inside her pack that she could wear for when Pip was sitting on her arm. As handsome as the songbird was, these claws were a huge problem. 

They took off without their usual dance in favor of getting to the moon nexus faster. Rayla insisted they arrive sooner rather than later. The nervousness was eating away her patience like a hungry caterpillar munches a leaf. Callum knew, but he also knew she wasn't going to open up and spill her feelings, so he tried another approach: distraction. He did everything he could think of to bridge the time. They talked, played some more games, watched Pip soar beside them and he even sang with the bird. In the end they got a laugh out of the elf and that made it worth it. However, after wasting so much time Callum could finally see the nexus before him. It was finally time to reunite with Lujanne.

The guardian of the moon nexus was waiting for them already. The golden light of the sunset colored her white hair a soft vanilla and brought out the mischievous sparkle in her eyes. In her arms Phoe-Phoe chirped before she jumped out of the moon guardian's arms, while Callum spread his mage wings for a boastful landing. Once Lujanne realized that there was a human with wings landing on her lawn, as graceful as if he had been born with them, she was excited. When her eyes couldn't widen more she gasped. Then all hell broke loose. Lujanne squealed and excitedly poked and prodded him before anyone could even say hello. 

"I guess she's not mad at us anymore?" He managed to squeak out while Lujanne was busy ruffling through his feathers. 

Rayla was just about to sigh in relief when Lujanne decided to answer Callum's indirect question, "oh no. I'm still mad that your friends caused so much trouble, but I'm willing to forgive you. It's in the past." 

It was like a heavy weight had been lifted from Rayla's shoulders. She visibly relaxed and when she turned to lock eyes with Callum there was so much relief, hope and happiness in them that it was enough to swap over to him like a massive tidal wave. In response he dismissed his wings, twisted out of a surprised Lujanne's grasp and then curled around her like a human blanket. 

" **Oh!** Congratulations you two!" Cheered Lujanne once she saw the you couple. 

"Thanks!" Replied Callum with a huge smile on his face. He kept one arm around Rayla while he faced the elder moon mage, "but we're here for another reason. Rayla?" 

"I'm a moon ambassador. The only one right now, and I know that I want to try for dragon guard one day. We thought you'd like to know." Rayla's voice was rarely full of so much pride and confidence, and yet there wasn't a trace of arrogance in it. 

Despite what they had expected, Lujanne stayed calm. She looked at them both with the eyes of a proud parent, or a loving grandparent that had just seen a wonderful school play. Then his focus shifted to rest solely on a still very content Rayla. Lujanne let Callum know that he was allowed to read whatever book he pleased in her private collection, before she took Rayla's hand and walked away with her. They apparently needed to talk about moon ambassador things that weren't Callum's business. 

With a shrug he picked the first book that he found . It's dark blue cover shone like liquid metal, and it's faded ink revealed it's true age. However, what truly kept Callum's attention on it was that it was a book about sun, moon and star magic.

* * *

At the same time Aaravos twisted and turned in his bed. He'd been given a guest room in the castle of Katolis and had originally hoped to get some sleep after a long day of work and scheming. Falling asleep was easy, but his dreams weren't going to let him rest any time soon. 

He dreamed of his time with his human lover. They went on dates, had fun in the city or near their small house in the forest, and then even started a family together. He truly loved his dream child. Holding the tiny bundle in his arms, but then Avizandum flew in from the deepest shadows to destroy everything Aaravos came to love. In one pale blue flash he was thrown back into the mirror to be forgotten, to rot in darkness forevermore. 

He woke up with tears in his eyes and the fury of a hurricane inside his heart. Xadia would burn, Zubeia would pay. He swore that if he'd rip the stars from the sky if necessary.

 _"Luminum!"_ and suddenly there was a small star illuminating the room with soft blue light.

With a grunt he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He missed his horns, and having a fifth finger was still weird, but he was slowly getting used to having a human body. However, he was still a startouched elf and that meant his dreams usually meant something. Now he only had to decipher what it meant to tell him. Before he realized it he'd wasted hours of precious sleep only to end up with nothing. 

"Divination has never been my strong suit..." And with that said Aaravos let himself fall back into his bed with a soft thud. He would need all of his energy for when the older prince finally arrived. And yet he wondered why Harrow's younger son sat on the throne, instead of his older brother. Aaravos felt like he was still missing some piece of the puzzle that is Callum of Katolis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on making up some spells for the next chapter. Those won't be canon, but feel free to use them in your own works! I'll put them in future post-work notes. :D  
> 1\. Luminum [Lu-Mi-num] from the latin "lumen" meaning light or glimmer


	4. Through Every Storm

Callum was careful to not wake Rayla up as he turned the page of his book. Out of curiosity he tried to cast a few of the more tame spells, and to his mild surprise it worked. He theorized that he didn't just connect to the sky arcanum, but to all of them during his dark magic coma, but since he only knew sky magic and how it felt he could only access it. It was a miracle that he connected to one arcanum, having a bond with all of them was too much and yet here he was. According to Lujanne there was only one person who had ever managed to connect to all six primal sources, and he died long ago. 

Hours ago, when he first talked to Lujanne about connecting to more than one source, he had just thrown his hands up in frustration and stalked back to the guest room, where he left his book. They didn't want to believe him, he would show them. The tiny blue star twinkling in his open hand was proof enough to make them both gape at him in awe. Callum smiled. He would show them both tomorrow.

He let his head drop to rest against one of Rayla's horns. The tip of her pointed ear brushed against his cheek while she slept, but he didn't mind. They were still too young to make sandwiches, but they could enjoy a close moment like this any day. However that reminded Callum of their first talk about star magic. He was a star mage, if the wee glowing dot before him was any indication of his status. Rayla said that star mages were rare, exotic even, and he would be dragged off to learn from some very old master if it ever became public knowledge. He felt like he needed to hide and yet he didn't want to. His whole being screamed and rebelled at the thought of losing Rayla. Without her his life would become dull and lifeless. She was his muse and spark.

He skipped a few pages backwards to look at a moon spell that could be used to make things invisible. A simple stealth spell, not as fancy as Rayla's natural moonshadow powers, but it would do. He studied the rune for it, a cursive C that held a smaller O inside it, like a crescent moon that hugged a full moon. He then looked for the page of the starlight spell, keeping his fingers on the hiding spell's page to not lose it. 

Once he had both runes and spells he decided to try something new, and then hope it would work. _Aspiro Frigis_ worked just fine and it was both wind and ice - which is just frozen water, so he thought, if two elements could be merged together into a spell of one source, why couldn't sources be merged together to make new magic? With a small bit of something cold in his chest Callum wondered how clear the types of magic were truly separated, and how much of it came from the elves and their beliefs.

"Let's see if I can do this."

He used both of his hands to cast two spells at the same time. With his right hand he drew the moon stealth spell and with his left he drew a four-pointed star that had two streaks below it like a beam of light. 

_"Luminum Obscura!"_ He whispered gently, but also full of childish excitement. He was full of the kind of curiosity that would surely kill the cat. 

Before his eyes the small star disappeared. It's light was still illuminating the room, but the star itself was now gone from the visible spectrum. Callum felt like he could kiss the sky, but he chose to kiss Rayla instead. Killed cat or not, this feeling of satisfaction could bring a whole army of cats back. 

While he looked at his new invisible creation Callum idly wondered why no other elf had ever attempted to do this. Learning more about all kind of magic was amazing in his opinion, so what made the elves so opposed to the idea? Callum couldn't understand why all elves limited themselves like this. He couldn't understand why they would not want to be able to do all kinds of magic. Then again he was human, so he might not understand because it's a cultural thing. Sometimes he secretly wondered what it was like to have horns, but he didn't want to ask Rayla about it 

He'd tried the other sources too, but so far only the sky, the moon and the stars responded to his calls. The sky he knew well, and the moon was logical to. He did spend a long time among moonshadow elves after all, but the stars just came out of nowhere and for no apparent reason. However, Callum's mother always told him that things happened for a reason, as silly and insignificant as it may be. Trying one more time he let go of the current spell, and focused on a new one. This time he wanted to cross sky with star. 

_"Luminum Frigis!"_ He cast his experiment into existence. It was a small starlight coated piece of ice, differing only in pattern from it's pure star magic siblings. The faint wave of coldness that came from it made Rayla shiver in her sleep and turn around. She hid her head under one of the biggest pillows they had while she fought to stay asleep. Panicking because he was experimenting with magic not only in the house, but in bed Callum threw his ice star out of the window just in time to play innocent when Rayla woke up. 

"Wha's goin on ya big dommy?" She asked, her accent heavy in her sleepy voice.

"Just watching some storm outside. Nothing to worry about." He lied in response. 

Thankfully Rayla was too tired and drowsy to notice his lie or else he would be sleeping outside. She leaned up and put a feathery kiss on his nose before she fell back on her pillow. One of her arms reached for Callum, like she wanted him to be her plushy, and of course he obliged. However, they had long since made a deal that Callum would never hug Rayla from behind. The reason: her horns. Once her breathing had slowed again and she was back in the realm of dreams, he looked outside to find his ice star. Some small panic flared up and turned his face red when he couldn't find it, but then he reasoned that it must have dissolved on its own. With no magic power to sustain it there was no other option. A star couldn't just vanish. With his mind calmed again, Callum pushed his book aside and curled up like a shrimp scampi in garlic butter right beside the love of his life.

* * *

Katolis castle was awoken by a heavy thunderstorm the next day. It was one of these storms that ripped off roofs, and then clawed at the walls like a rabid animal. Rain hit the stone walls of the throne room in a merciless assault while lightning flashed every now and then. 

It baffled everyone there because this humongous storm came out of nowhere. Fast. Rumours went around that some elven mage had summoned it to scare them, but king Ezran quickly denied this. He reassured his people that there was peace between the pentarchy and Xadia. However, he couldn't hide how scared of this storm he really was. Ever since he was small he disliked thunderstorms and feared lightning. It got better when he watched Callum play with the _Fulminis_ spell, but some amount of fear was still present.

Which is why his royal majesty was currently hiding underneath his bed, with his blanket over his head, Bait held tightly in his arms and at least seven jelly tarts stashed away safely. 

Claudia found him there when she went to look for her brother. Soren had yet to forgive her completely, so Ezran was the only one who trusted her fully, or at least wasn't throwing a dirty look at her whenever she walked by. Ever since she and her alchemy teacher arrived the young king had become her rock to cling to. Getting to pet a warm and squishy glow toad was an added bonus, really. Bait made a very good huggle pillow, despite his grumpy exterior. 

"Ez? Aaron and I want to make a flu potion while this storm is raging. Some people are bound to get sick so we better prepare. Do you want to come and watch? We could use the company and Bait might like some snacks."

Carefully the young king came out of his hiding spot and nodded his consent. Anything was better than being in his room during this storm, and besides, Ezran actually really liked Aaron. He was just as curious as Callum, maybe even more so, but he was more careful. Ezran was sure that his brother would love to meet the alluring alchemist. However, Ezran noticed that Aaron looked at him with a longing look in his golden eyes whenever he thought that the young king wouldn't notice. It was the look of someone who wanted something that was far out of reach. Ezran has heard of this before, the longing of a hungry caterpillar that had to watch the snail eat the last leaf before it's eyes. This wasn't jealousy, but it came close.

Ezran didn't know if he should ask the man about it or let it be. It wasn't his business, but as king he should make sure all of his people were happy. 

"Ready?" Asked Claudia while she brushed her white hair behind her ear. It suited her as much as a dress would look pretty on a glow toad. However, Ezran was happy to have the nice Claudia back. He really missed having her around to talk to, play with and just have close. They walked to what was once a sitting room in the lower levels of the castle. Down there the sound of rain was less prominent and the smell of herbs soothed any worldly worries. Fennel, mint and lavender were the first scents to dance around the young king, while rosehip and star anise followed suit after when the alchemist stepped into the light. 

"Ah, I welcome you, my king. How may I serve you?" Aaron asked with a deep bow. 

Ezran almost forgot what he wanted to ask him, but he didn't. Not this time. So instead of just sitting idly he asked Claudia to leave them for a moment, before he turned around to look at Aaron with these large blue-grey eyes of his. They were serious and hard, but not unkind. 

"Aaron, I need to ask you something. It's something personal." Ezran started. He waited for Aaron's reaction, and wasn't disappointed when he found some hesitation. After a careful nod from the man, Ezran asked his question.

"I noticed how you look at me when you think I'm not looking. Did I do something? Are you okay?" 

Whatever Ezran expected it was certainly not a bittersweet smile and a lone tear. Golden eyes were full of warmth when they looked down at the young king and Ezran could feel the man silently grieve something he lost. Here's seen this exact look in his aunt Amaya's eyes before. 

"I knew your mother and I see her in you every day, your majesty. Sarai and I were... close. My sincerest apologies if I made you feel uncomfortable." Aaravos didn't lie. 

He never lied. He sometimes left things out, or worded something a certain way to avoid telling the full truth, however the princes were all he had left of his beloved and thus deserved special treatment. They may be Harrow's sons and yet he found that he didn't care much. When he felt Ezran wrap his arms around his waist Aaravos knew he would protect the king. Once he had conquered Xadia he would make sure there was a special place for Sarai's sons. He would create paradise for them, where they would never want for anything or fear anything, where he could spoil them rotten while he walked free. 

"So... Are you like, my uncle now?" Chirped Ezran easily. It warmed Aaravos' heart. 

"Perhaps, but," he started seriously and then turned to laugh softly, "I think the title of godfather might be more fitting. I don't want to overstep any boundaries, my king. After all I am just a peasant compared to you." 

Aaravos pretended not to hear Claudia's soft aww that made its way to his ears from outside the room. He hugged the child king back carefully, compared to him Ezran was tiny and he didn't want to mess up by holding on to much. Aaravos knew he was in desperate need of attention and he craved love in any of it's forms. Dare he think so: Aaravos was lonely.

They were interrupted when one of the guards knocked on the old wooden door. Ezran untangled from Aaravos arms and straightened his clothes before he allowed the guard to enter the room. However, what entered was hardly a guard at all. It was a human stick at best and a walking piece of rope at worst. Aaravos cringed when he saw him and vowed to find a way to help the man, for Ezran's sake. Sarai's boy deserved only the best which also included only the best soldiers and guards. 

"Sir! Prince Callum just arrived, and he brought lady Rayla with him. They are waiting for you in the throne room as we speak." 

Ezran cheered and Aaravos felt his inner stars flare up in excitement. Finally would he be able to meet the older brother. Claudia would be a better match for him than any moonshadow. They were the most stubborn of all the elves, while rivaling only the startouch with their secrecy. No, Aaravos knew how high-strung and elitist elves were and he was sure that Callum would be much more happy with Claudia. Then once they were together he could finally start with his plan to create a better world for the humans. Xadia had it's time, now it was time for revenge. The archmage would make the other elves kneel before him. They would beg for forgiveness, once he was done.

Apparently he was so caught up in his thoughts about the past, present and future that he completely missed their arrival at the throne room. Ezran pushed the huge gold-rimmed doors open and stormed into his domain, followed closely by a shivering and excited Claudia, and finally Aaravos himself. Ezran hugged his brother openly and with a carefree grin on his face. Callum returned it, but the now 16 year old sounded much more mature than the elf in human skin had expected. Curiously he let golden eyes roam around to study every face in the room that he could see. He managed to suppress an annoyed groan when he saw the familiar white hair and purple horns of the moonshadow girl right beside what looked like a Xadian primal mage. 

Confused Aaravos cleared his throat to ask, "excuse silly old me, but wouldn't some introductions be nice?" 

In return Ezran turned around with the biggest blush on his cheeks, "I'm sorry! Uh guys, this is Aaron. He's Claudia's alchemy teacher and our godfather! Aaron, meet my brother, Callum!" 

The room turned eerily silent when Callum took off the hood of his still wet traveling cloak. Only the sound of the rain prevailed unbothered by the tension in the room. Gold crashed with green as the two stepped closer towards each other. It was Callum who broke the silence when he wheezed out a shaky gasp. 

"Ez, what do you mean with our godfather?" He asked carefully. His eyes never left the man who could be his older mirror image, if not for the eyes.

"Well, he said he knew mom so..."

 _He knew mom...?_ "Ezran. You remember that we are only half brothers, right?" 

After that sentence left the step-prince's mouth the golden eyed alchemist could finally put two and two together with certainty. Aaravos was nothing but elegance and efficiency. He prided himself to be always prepared, and he could count the times he was speechless on his elven hand, but when lightning turned Callum's hair a shock white for a second, he knew who that boy's father was. Aaravos realized that he had made a huge miscalculation when he assumed that both boys were Harrow's sons by blood. 

Aaravos had never expected to be a father himself and even though every bit of his soul sang in happiness, his heart was torn apart with fear. One wrong word and he would lose the one thing he wanted more than anything. With desperate eyes he looked into his son's green ones in an attempt to show him his feelings, but regardless of that Callum still asked a dangerous question, in the most eery calm known to humankind.

"Mom said you are dead. Where have you been for my entire life? What happened to you...?" Callum finally asked with a voice so void of emotion, he might as well be soulless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned this in a comment before: I draw, well more like sketch a lot, but I would love to add some drawings to my fanfic. Can anyone help me with that? Please :D
> 
> Spells:  
> Aspiro Frigis (canon spell) from the two latin words "aspirare" and "frigus" literally translated as rising high cold  
> 1\. Luminum [Lu-Mi-num] from the latin "lumen" meaning light or glimmer  
> 1.1 - Luminum Obscura from "lumen" and "obscura" meaning dark or unknown light  
> 1.2 - Luminum Frigis meaning frigid light or icy light. It's one of Callum's hybrid spells  
> Fulminis (canon spell) from the latin "fulmen" meaning lightning bolt


	5. And When I Look

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll put this here so that you'll see it for sure!  
> THANK YOU! All of you, thank you very much for your support, comments and kudos. I really do mean it. It's amazing to see how fast this little story grew. You are legends. All of you!

For a split second the world froze. Time crawled to an half before their very eyes, as if the stream of passing seconds had been blocked. Not only Callum wanted some answers, his green eyes hardened to emeralds as strong as a dragon's scales. Behind him Rayla placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, both to show her support and to calm him down. Immediately his hand reached for her's and they let their fingers entwine tenderly, much to the poorly hidden dismay of Claudia. There was no mistake as to what the green shimmer in her eyes was: envy.

It was the reformed witch who first broke the heavy silence, "that's impossible. There's no way you two are related." She declared. 

Claudia knew that Callum was human through and through. In her mind there was no chance that he was anything but, so there was no way that his father wasn't fully human also. Aaron, or Aaravos as her father called him sometimes was certainly not human. According to this logic this was impossible for him to be related to Callum. It would mean Callum was... _No. No way!_ Claudia screamed in her mind. Anything magical, or rather anything that wasn't human was nothing more than material for her spells to her. Callum was human. He had to be human, or else he would be nothing but material for her spells, and that was unacceptable.

"Uh, Clauds? Look at them!" Urged Soren his sister with an unusually tight voice.

Based on their hair and faces it was obvious that they must be related in some way. The resemblance was just too uncanny to be a coincidence, and yet there was a murmuring in the crowd of crown guards, nobility, family and friends. It wasn't outright disbelief that coursed around the room, but rather hesitation. This was sudden, unexpected, and everyone knew it.

The two mirror images started to circle each other, ignoring the crowd around them. It seemed as if a invisible barrier sprang up around them. Adult and teenager studied every single detail about the other, his clothes, his expression, his body language and finally they locked eyes with each other. 

The eyes are the window to the soul, according to popular belief, so when Callum searched for any bit of recognition or likewise inside Aaron's golden ones, he found a deeply hidden sadness that he's only ever seen once in his life. Aaron held the same grief in his eyes as his aunt Amaya did whenever someone mentioned his mother. It was a certain flash of pain that spoke of loss and grief, and it was one Callum was very familiar with. Coincidentally this familiarity is what made it so easy to identify, and then sympathize with. It slowed Callum's racing pulse, like a wave rolling up on a sandy beach. Eventually he realized that if this was his biological father, then he made a terrible first impression.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped." He said with a tired sigh, "Let's start over? My name is Callum, it's nice to meet you, sir." 

After a moment of hesitation Aaravos replied, "it's alright. You had every right to do so. I am called Aaron, and I was working as a healer when I met your mother." 

"So it's true...?" 

"I don't know. I suppose so." Admitted Aaravos while he glanced at the moonshadow elf that was hugging his newly discovered could-be son. 

They seemed like the perfect couple, loving, loyal and happy with each other. It made Aaravos rethink his decision to help Viren's daughter get the prince. _No, the step-prince,_ he corrected himself. However, then he thought about how a human partner would be much better for him since a human wouldn't hold him back. Aaravos was painfully aware of how low elves saw humans in his era, and from what he's seen in Lux Aurea that didn't change much over the years of his imprisonment. Callum didn't deserve to be seen as a pet, son or not, he didn't wish this fate on the teen.

"I loved Sarai long ago, years before I was caught and imprisoned by the dragon king. We never married however, and she never mentioned anything about a child to me, but it would be possible. We were torn apart by Thunder sixteen years ago. I assume that is your age now." 

After that confession of sorts Callum held onto Rayla for support. Everything, his entire world fell apart with just so few words from a stranger, that was supposedly family, and now he needed her familiarity. She was his rock to hold on to when the waves of life were ripping at his heart. Callum was glad that he had her. Abruptly he turned away from his father and buried his head in Rayla's hair, to which she replied by brushing his hair and rubbing gentle circles on his back. After two years together they knew how to comfort the other. 

While she did that her lilac eyes snapped up to clash with guarded golden ones. She was in her hero mode, bravely protecting her love with everything she had. The only reason why she hadn't said anything yet was because Aaron looked just as lost as Callum, and she knew first hand how much it hurt to be an orphan. Despite everything and all her bravado, Rayla knew she wouldn't react much differently than Callum had if she ever saw her parents again. 

Eventually they remembered that there was a crowd in the room, which made Soren and the other guards usher everyone besides their king, Rayla and Claudia out of the room to give the reunited pair some space. Still, Callum didn't move out of Rayla's arms and it seemed like it would need an earthquake to separate them. In that moment she was his sword in a scabbard, ready to be unleashed in a moment's notice, and nobody would be able to decline how tense she had been during the entire exchange.

"Whether or not we are related, I wish to get to know you, Callum. Let us all calm down and think about it first. There is no need to rush into things and I don't wish to force this upon you." 

Aaravos' gentle voice was full of promises of safety. It pulled attention towards him, but not towards himself. It's soft kindness mollified the people in the room just right to make them agree to his suggestion without any objections, and despite the heavy mood that still hang in the air like a rain cloud. He stole one less glance at the still shaken step-prince before he excused himself. Immediately Claudia rushed after him like an obedient little shadow that followed it's master. 

"Good thinking! Pretending to be Callum's dad will make it easier for us to convince him that that elf isn't good for him." She smiled, hopeful that her dreams might become reality soon. 

In turn Aaravos stayed silent. To any casual observer he seemed tired and lost in thought, but he was anything but. He needed to know the truth. The chance that Callum really was his made his blood burn with a two faced worry. On one hand he always wanted a family and he wanted them to be safe and happy. On the other hand any of his biological offspring would have a chance inherit his magical potential, and then become either a great ally or a troublesome enemy. 

_Speaking of allies, I wonder how dear Viren is doing?_ He thought with a smirk while he started to work on something for Claudia.

* * *

A few corridors away Rayla and Callum sat in their room. It had once been Callum's childhood room, but they decided early into their relationship to share it, and it showed. Teal curtains with a night sky pattern kept the light out, and yet some rays still found their way to the sparkling crescent moon pillows on the bed. The desk was full of art supplies and sketches, as well as books about dancing and magic. The scent of jelly tarts, dew and pine needles brought the young mage much needed comfort. He knew it in his heart that if not for Rayla he would have broken down in the throne room and the safety he felt in his room eased his mind and heart.

"What should I do now?" He finally asked her.

"I... don't know." Admittedly she didn't have much experience with reunions, but she would be damned if she didn't try, "whatever comes now, we will face it together. Worried prince, this might be a chance. I don't trust him, and I've seen the way he looked at me, but if he is your father then you shouldn't push him away." 

He smiled in gratitude for her advice. Her being there helped him more than anything else in the world. Slowly he leaned forward to place a feather light kiss on her lips. Full of love as it was it made her warm up from the inside. After two years she still felt like her chest was full of adoraburrs whenever he kissed her like this. 

In the stories Runaan told her when he was still around there was much slobbering and heated passion. She never liked these stories much. The love in them felt harsh, yet muted. The princes in those stories had to be a boastful kind of brave while the princess was a lovesick damsel. Luckily Callum was different. His love was soft and warm, like a cotton blanket wrapped around them both. He was her shield while she was his sword, both living and loving in perfect harmony. 

They only needed to put their foreheads together to feel the deep bond that tied them close, like a ribbon around their hearts. The following two kisses weren't unwelcome however. Callum decided to finish by placing a playful puff of a kiss on her nose, like he usually did before they went to bed, but this time Rayla repaid him in kind. His face was well worth it. After so long he still knew how to look like a goldfish cracker whenever he was caught off guard.

With the mood much lighter and the room not as frosty anymore, they could talk easily once again. Callum being the big feelings kind of person started to spill out everything in his heart while she listened. He told her about his mother: kind, strong, loving Sarai. However, one thing still bugged her very much.

"Oi. What makes you so sure that he's your pa?" Her tone was pure curiosity by now. Not a trace of judgement could be found in it.

And yet when Callum wanted to answer her he found that he didn't know how. Besides their resemblance there was nothing, no other reason for why he was so sure. For all he knew Aaron could have been married to another. There was no logical way he could have known that Aaron has been his mother's lover, years ago, and before he was even born. 

And yet, somehow he did. Thankfully Rayla didn't grill him to much for this. He seriously doubted that he could ever correctly describe what went through his head half of the time.

"Rayla?"

A _hmm?_ told him that he had her attention.

"If he really is my dad, he better stop judging you for being an elf. I love you the way you are. Nothing will change that, ever."

His answer was a vine like hug that made his ribs scream in protest, but he didn't mind. After a while he tapped on her shoulder before he asked a question.

"Do you want to go to the courtyard and dance with me? We skipped yesterday's ballet lesson because of Lujanne, but since it's almost night we should be alone there. Well, minus some guards of course." 

Truth be told, Callum enjoyed dancing as much as the next best person, but moonshadow ballet was special to him. A year ago Rayla had been so sad because she it had been the anniversary of her ghosting. To cheer her up Callum asked her out on a date to dance. They kept this up ever since, every night they could dance together they would. Ethari even joked once that Callum might grow horns and become a moonshadow elf if they kept this up. When Rayla groaned he needed to explain that "elf Callum" was buried in a box, never to be released from his slumber. 

* * *

Claudia held the small vial that Aaravos gave her in her hand. It was a beautifully crafted glass petunia, filled with a watery red substance. To open it one had to pluck off one petal. The others would then act like a spout. Her mission was to put this potion into Rayla's moonberry juice. Aaravos told her how much moonshadow elves loved the red berry drink. He was certain that Rayla had a bottle or two in their room. 

The potion was magical. Corrupted moon magic was used to brew the odorless, tasteless and very potent thing. Normally it was used to change a person's hair color and texture permanently, but this version was far stronger thanks to a little dark magic. All it took her was a small spider with an ugly polka dotted butt. A small price to pay, in Claudia's opinion. She hushed into the empty room and quickly poured the potion into the blood red berry drink on the nightstand.

Once Rayla drank the potion her looks would change, and nobody would be able to recognize her, not even Callum. That is the moment when Claudia could rush in an show him that she was far better suited to be his girlfriend. With a tiny snicker the witch left the room just in time to not be seen by the returning couple. She ran back to tell Aaravos that their plan was a success, but didn't stay long enough to see that Rayla drank directly from the bottle. 

Instead, it was Callum who took the cup on the nightstand, and once it was gone he promptly fell asleep. Rayla wasted no time to join him, but she hesitated. A feeling of being watched tingled her trained senses. Something seemed off but it was late and there was no visible moon in the sky, so she decided to investigate it the next day. She put her chin on Callum's head and buried her nose in his hair. Deep in her dreams she thought she smelled blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were no spells in this chapter so I won't need translations. However, I can tell you something about the potion Claudia used on Callum. It's a very powerful and magical keratin stimulant, sort of like a super hair-growing elixir. Now guess what else is made of keratin. Hm?


	6. You Will Be There

Morning. The time of the day when creatures rose from their slumber, and got ready for another day. The time, when the sky turns into brilliant shades of green and blue. It was early, yet bright enough to justify standing up. Being a moonshadow elf, Rayla had long since leaned that it was easier to stand up when it was still early enough to see the last glimpse of the moon, unless she became completely nocturnal that is. However, since she walked alongside humans in a human kingdom she figured that rising early was the best tactic.

As the fog of sleep lifted from her mind she noticed the iron-like sickly sour smell of dried blood coming from Callum. Immediately her heart skipped a beat while she jumped up to check if he was injured. When she felt a strong pulse and even breathing, she allowed herself to calm down a bit. But only a tiny bit. The smell was still there, and yet Callum didn't have any visible wounds anywhere on his body. The only part Rayla didn't check was his head, simply because he had buried himself under pillows of all shapes and sizes. It was a bit unusual for him to hog them all, but she'd take weirdness over death and pain any day. With held breath she readied herself for the worst.

When Rayla finally managed to pry off most of the pillows she noticed that they were full of small bloodstains, while even more of it stuck to Callum's hair. Of course it wasn't enough to endanger his life, but it made her feel light-headed and sick. Unfocused as she was, Rayla didn't notice the curvy horns that were definitely stuck on Callum's head, until she brushed against one with her hand. 

"Moon above... What did ye do now, yer stupid human?" She muttered in a faint voice, just barely audible in the quiet room.

Immediately after her discovery she hurried to wake Callum up. Thankfully shaking his shoulder did the trick, and it seemed like a bad joke at first when he rose from his dreams like he normally did. However, in the middle of a long yawn he fell over. Of course he didn't account for the additional weight now resting in his head. He didn't knew it was there in the first place, and all Rayla could do was stare blankly at his clumsy attempts to balance. Her heartbeat slowed with the realization that he was okay, and alongside that she found that imminent looming feeling of doom vanish as well. Now bafflement made itself at home in fright's place. 

And maybe, just maybe, a little bit of wonder. Even though he did look rather funny and mismatched with his round ears, peach skin and brown mop of hair. Five fingers and horns just looked weird when put together, in her honest opinion. Not bad, but definitely very strange.

"Rayla? What's going on? Why are you looking at me like that?" he managed to ask still very drowsily.

She pushed him so that his back was leaning on the headboard of the bed. It supported him and kept him sitting upright for now. Then, as gentle as a spring shower Rayla took Callum's hands, and carefully put them around his newly acquired horns. Once he realized what he was feeling his face became pale, but he didn't faint. A small mercy, given their current predicament, because Rayla was sure she could see the early signs of a panic attack on his face. In an attempt to calm him down she mumbled sweet words and soft reassurances into his ear. 

Hesitantly Callum let his fingers run over the bone-like antlers on his head. He had two long ones that curved elegantly up at the tip, roughly as long as his lower arm. He thanked the sources that he didn't feel any branches anywhere, however he did notice two nubs right before where they grew that were just shy of peeking out of his hair. His horns were warm and rather sensitive under his touch, which didn't surprise him much after watching Rayla carefully polish her's so many times. What did surprise him was the feeling of a pulse in them. It felt like the same soft beat that he could feel in his fingers after a long run or heavy work. 

"They are hollow?" He concluded.

"What?" 

The way his eyes moved up, as if he could actually look at what was now adorning his head made Rayla laugh a little. It was silly, Callum's patented special kind of silly. 

"These things feel really weird." 

Rayla sent him a confused look. She never knew what not having horns felt like. She was born with her own set, so she didn't have anything to compare this feeling to, but she thought that she had an idea of what Callum was talking about. It seemed that she needed to give him an important talk that wasn't about "making sandwiches". One glance at his new "assets" made her reconsider that however, because she surely wasn't the only elf who would be appreciating the view. Yet, the basics have to come first, always, for wisdom will only grow on a good foundation.

"They are full of blood vessels, so don't go breaking them. I promise, a split horn will hurt ya for weeks and look like nightmare fuel. Oh, and don't touch them in public! I mean, you could, but it's just not something you should do. It's not proper." Rayla told him heatedly. The thought of seeing him curled up in pain because of a broken horn made her stomach drop, while the image of him fondling them in public mortified her.

Thankfully another question from him ripped her out of these thoughts, "Where did they come from? Humans don't grow horns so suddenly for no reason, and I'm sure it's not because of my magic. Besides, all skywing horns look different." 

A few seconds passed while Rayla thought about her answer. In all honesty, she didn't know more than he did, but she had an idea where to look for the answers they sought. However, before they could leave the room they needed to clean up both Callum and the bed, or else someone might think the room was a murder scene. After a quick but informative explanation on how to wash horns she pushed Callum into the nearby bathroom. While he was hopefully not getting stuck in the wash pot, she bundled up the pillows and sheets to smuggle them into the laundry room. 

Using all her trained skill and agility she avoided the guards and servants. Like a leaf drifting through the air, she moved from shadow to shadow unseen. Having to explain these stains was to much for her after such an catastrophic morning. Rayla loved her dorky prince, but she needed a break. Now. 

Which is why Callum only found an empty room when he came back, all cleaned up and much more steady on his feet. He was a bit stumped at first, but this was Rayla and he knew she needed some space at times. Green eyes dimmed a bit at the thought of causing her worry. It may not have been his fault, but he still felt bad for making her uncomfortable, or at least that's what he thought she was feeling. Rayla wasn't wearing her emotions on her sleeve most of the time. Naturally it was hard to figure out what was going on at times. With a sigh he made his way to Ezran. 

After the click of a wooden door that fell into it's lock, he stood outside of his sanctuary, open to be seen by anyone. The first to give him funny looks were the guards that patrolled the castle. He knew that the sharp scratching sound meant one of them ran into his or her colleagues. Not wanting to talk about the obvious reason why, Callum hurried up. His normal walk turned into a slow jog for the entire way, until he stood before the large double doors that lead to the throne room. One last prayer to the sources that Opeli wasn't present, and then he went in.

Ezran sat next the window, chatting with Soren like a twittering bird. In return Soren sat there and listened like a young and proud falcon that had just left the nest. They looked at who had entered, and once they saw who it was they waved Callum over like there was nothing out of the ordinary. One blink, two blinks and still no reaction. It bamboozled Callum severely. That was, until Soren finally asked him about the obvious reason why he was up and about this early.

"So. You finally grew a pair?" The crown guard snorted and snickered at his bad joke behind his hand, eyes ablaze with playfulness.

"Yeah. I woke up with them today and don't know what to do now." He replied dryly. Callum trusted that his brother recognized his tone of voice. 

Thankfully Ezran did. He elbowed Soren and told him to knock it off before he gave his older brother a full checkup. The young king circled Callum like a curious scholar who found an interesting new specimen of a rare being. Yet, it was fine with a smile and a gentle aura. King Ezran of Katolis was open minded, kind and thoughtful. His subjects would often compare him to the fairytale character Snow White at times, which amused the child king a lot. However, part of it is true, because Ezran didn't judge Callum like the guards had just moments ago.

"You know, I think they suit you. Do you know where they came from?" 

But before Callum could answer Soren spoke up, "I'm sure we can fix this, and I have an idea already! Callum, follow me!" And with that said they stormed off, Soren rushing outside like a wild bull, and Callum dragging behind him as if he was a piece of silk in the wind. Ezran's laughter following behind them.

* * *

Aaravos enjoyed the hot morning potion that Claudia created. Once he added some sugar to the dark brew it became even better, in his humble opinion. Human ingeniuity would never cease to amaze the archmage, but even though he was proud of humanity and it's creations, he was a tiny bit envious as well. His own people were stagnant at best. Boring, slow, repetitive. That's how he remembered the other elves. It drove him mad how much they resisted change and great innovations, things just like Claudia's delicious morning potion. He was just sipping a cup of it when he heard Viren's son enter a shouting match with Callum. With his interest piqued he stood up from the largest comfy chair in the royal library and walked to the window. 

"... Way! Soren, no!" 

"Soren, yes!"

The elf in human skin smiled mirthfully at the two boys antics. There were not many star mages, so naturally his kind either unconditionally adored or utterly despised children. He was a rare neutral on that topic, so he felt amusement above all else bubble up from within himself. He stuck his head out some more to get a better look at what the two were doing outside so early. It was easy to spot them, mainly due to Callum's love for the color blue. What he saw made him drop his cup of hot brown morning potion however. Not even one day ago he wished to have proof of his paternity, and now it was thrown into his face like a wet rag. Even if they were slightly different, Aaravos recognized how similar the boy's horns were compared to his own or his own parents. They were a tad more blue in hue, and definitely smaller, but the curve gave his heritage away easily. Actually, Aaravos thought Callum took after his grandmother. 

It took him a moment, and some brain cells, before he could figure it out, but once he did he felt like he would choke on the sheer craziness of it. With a mouth full of dust and the feeling of being lost, the world stood still for him. He never knew that a hair potion could make half elves grow horns. After all this time and effort to get rid of all elves in her life, Claudia was head over heels in love with the son of one. The irony was delicious in the archmage's opinion.

"Well, you never stop learning." He quietly told himself. 

He shook his head and decided to save his son a very big headache when Soren started to pull on Callum's horns like they were handlebars. One does not need a elven anatomy degree to know that wasn't a good idea. Which is exactly why Aaravos used moon magic to jump out of the window without being seen, and then sky magic to soften his fall. The move was fairly easy to pull off, if one knew the right spells and had a connection to the right sources. Unlike most others he had both. Thankfully he arrived just in time to prevent a disaster.

"Soren, your sister is looking for you. She's in your father's office and it would surely break her heart to be alone for too long." He said while he approached the two. 

It was as if a switch had been flicked. Soren rushed off at the mention of his sister like a swarm of hornets were after him. It startled Callum for all of three seconds, before Aaravos decided to explain the crown guard's behavior. 

"He's been very protective of his sister since she came back. He didn't wish to lose any more family members." Then Aaravos' voice took on a more serious note, unlike to the soft one he had before, "I know I told you that you had time, but we need to talk privately."

Callum looked up, "why?" 

"Because I... can you keep a secret?" This was a dangerous move, he knew it. 

Calling nodded solemnly. With green eyes both hard and cautious, and yet so kind and curious he looked deep into his soul, a perfect combination of his own aristocratic features, and his mother's strong ones. A sad tug on his soul made Aaravos wish he could see Sarai once more. 

"I need to show you something that you deserve to know. As my son, it is only fair that you see who I truly am. For that, we need to go and see a very special mirror." He said gently, but low enough to ensure that certain secrets stayed secret.

He hesitated to hold out his hand to help his son up, but finally did so. It wasn't easy to care about someone else after so many years alone and forgotten. _Blood calls to blood,_ he remembered, and just maybe he didn't have to conquer the world alone. To his positive surprise Callum took it. The boy dusted himself off as best as he could, then they started to move. It was a bliss for Aaravos to feel the soft warmth and comfort that closeness to another offered, and it made him realize just how lonely he had been. With a sudden shiver he feared how much of his mind suffered because of Avizandum's punishment. In an instant the burning embers of rage flared up inside his heart. _They would pay._

"Are you okay?" 

But for now revenge had to wait, because Callum came first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again there are no spells in this one, so I won't have to translate stuff. :D


	7. You'll Keep Me Safe

After a tense walk in awkward silence the father son duo arrived at their destination. It was one of the larger guest rooms, where nobility would be placed in, but based on the countless bottles and vials in there it was obvious who resided there. Callum recognized only a human hand full of the dozens of potions stored on the table and shelves. His eyes glittered in tandem with the bottles while he hushed past them, never quite touching anything, but definitely interested in them. Aaron closed the door behind himself, then locked it and walked over to an ornate full body mirror. He specifically requested this one too be brought from Viren's study to his assigned room, despite his many weird looks he got because of it.

Callum couldn't understand the runes drawn on it's wooden frame, but he was sure that they were draconic. They adorned the mirror like they were meant to be there from the very beginning, and yet something inside Callum told him that wasn't true. It was the same feeling of rain dripping down his spine that he felt so many times before, and usually something big happened soon after. He was drawn towards it, like a pull on his soul that moved his limbs for him. The omnipotent puppeteer steered him towards the reflective oval in it's middle, made his hand reach up, and then look directly into another world. A magical world, and he wanted to be part of it so badly.

Aaron's scream followed him faintly, like a ghost without a purpose. Then there was the feeling of falling. Once, when he was younger, Callum jumped on his mother's bed and fell down by accident. Before he landed and hurt his knee there was a similar feeling if weightlessness and panic. Now, this fall was a hundred times worse. The way the non-existent wind knocked the air out of his lungs while a shining white light blinded him was something he never wanted to experience again. Above all else, Callum was scared. Terrified even. He felt how his consciousness faded away, and far out of his grasp. Just when it became too much to bear it suddenly stopped, and two strong arms wound themselves around his chest. 

The first thing Callum did when he opened his eyes was search for Rayla. Rayla was safety, Rayla was his sword. So, understandably, he pushed the imposing stranger away, who was looking at him from above with masterfully hidden concern in familiar golden eyes. Callum knew these eyes, he just couldn't place them. In an attempt to figure out where he has seen them before he let his eyes wander over shock white hair, glittering skin and a pair of horns that looked much like his own, just larger and more elegant. That's when a jolt froze every nerve in his body. He focused everything he was on breathing steadily. Remembering his mother's words, he just existed. Callum let go of everything that bound him to this moment. 

"This was not how I imagined our first proper meeting to go. Hello, son." 

He almost didn't believe it, but recognized this voice, "Aaron?"

The obvious elf nodded solemnly while he kept looking at Callum with his most sincere eyes. With very tense shoulders he was just waiting for his son to ask him anything. However, at the same time he was working on a way to get both of them out of the mirror. Having Callum fall into it was a shock. Getting out of the mirror became his top priority, right beside making sure his boy was alright. When it became apparent that Callum was not going to ask anything, he tried to guide them out of the tense silence.

"You... You're not human. You're an elf!" The child gasped, almost accusingly at who was apparently his true father.

"An acute observation."

"But what does that make me? What does that mean?" He asked desperately. His voice was slowly rising.

"It makes you my son. Nothing less."

"How? Why? What?" When it became apparent that Callum was overwhelmed by this huge revelation his father started to tell him his story, to hopefully give the boy some time to calm down. 

"My true name, which you have to promise me to keep a secret, is Aaravos. I was once one of the great ones, the elite team of archmages that protect Xadia. Long ago people disagreed with me. They were scared of change and thus the dragon king imprisoned me in this mirror." He gave his boy the abridged version, for now. 

"But, if you're trapped in... here?" Aaravos confirmed this with a nod, "then how did you and mom meet? How did I come to be? Where is here?" 

Suppressing the urge to both annoy and embarrass his only heir, Aaravos moved to sit on a couch. He invited Callum with a pat on the seat next to him to join him there before he continued, "I managed to find a loophole. The magic of the mirror can not be undone, however it can be avoided. Bent, if you will. I created myself a new body, but I was too eager, and in my hubris my creation became flawed." 

Callum noticed how his father's eyes became glossy, and they had a far away look. It seemed like he was trying, and succeeding, to look past time and space. What he was looking at was a mystery to the younger mage, but it seemed to make Aaravos very happy. He was sparkling just a tad brighter than he did moments before. 

"I met your mother by chance, today I believe it was fate that brought us together. Back then I lived in a small house near the ivy creek. Sarai, being the noble knight she was stumbled over my home while she was looking for a place to practice. I offered her some tea and we ended up sparring together. She was amazing, the bravest and most beautiful women I know." Aaravos blinked, "why are you looking at me like that, Callum?" 

Wherever his mind brought him, it caused Callum's face to resemble a moonberry for some odd reason that he didn't want to disclose, and Aaravos couldn't wrestle out of him. Unlike the father, the son wore his emotions on his sleeve. Callum was an open book to anyone who came across him to the point where it became endearing. However, this time Aaravos struggled to figure out what was going on in the boy's mind. With a shrug he carried on, much to Callum's relief. 

_Teenagers. Hm?_

A bright flare from the other side of the mirror caught Callum's attention. The silver flash glared directly into his eye before it moved away in just a second. His eyes tracked the source down just as quickly and his heart leaped when Rayla stepped into view. She was looking for something, most likely him, but regardless how much he called her, she couldn't hear him. If it wasn't for his father's hand squeezing his shoulder in support he would have broken down. 

"I love her." He simply said, hoping his father would catch on. 

In return the simple statement caused a deep wave of conflict to crash through Aaravos heart. It was quickly followed by something he hadn't felt in a very long time: shame. After what he had with Sarai, how could he even think about denying his own blood the same happiness? Not wanting Callum to see his face he draped his cloak over the boy. One hand on his chin, hiding his mouth from view while his other hand clawed into his robes, he could almost be described as regal. Any casual observer would think of him as calculative, yet he was anything but. He was just good at hiding it. Eventually he closed his eyes as well while he tried to find a way for his son to escape the cursed mirror. The spell wasn't designed to hold Callum. 

Aaravos was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Callum slip through the mirror once more as easily as if he was breaching the surface of a lake. His face must have matched his surprise when he couldn't find his boy, because he saw both his own and the moonshadow girl wave at him from the other side with concerned faces. Pressing his own hand against the mirror's glass he found that it wouldn't relent at all. The mirror wasn't designed to hold Callum... but it was firmly reminding him that he was trapped there. With a melancholic smile he waved back. Then he noticed that Callum was still wearing his cloak. 

Raising his hands he elegantly signed what he wished to say. Aaravos had enjoyed his silent talks with a younger Amaya, back when life was less complicated. Sarai had taught him, and he assumed that Callum knew how to sign as well, given that the deaf warrior was his aunt.

_You scared me, son. Give me a minute to wake my other body up, then we can talk more._

While Aaravos sat down to meditate and let his soul drift, Callum explained to Rayla what was going on and where he had went so suddenly. She took it fairly well, only calling him a reckless walnut twice. In the end they hugged, just glad the other wasn't harmed. Callum filled her in on everything Aaravos had told him, even the archmage's true name, regardless of his promise to keep it a secret. He trusted Rayla with his life and thus she deserved to know the real identity of her future father in law. However, the name made her feel uneasy. She had heard it before somewhere, and it left a strange cold shiver in her very bones. They agreed to look more into it when they were sure nobody was around. 

"At least we know where these things came from now." She declared while she tapped his horns playfully. 

"Aaron" woke up a few minutes later and greeted them as warmly as he could without being creepy. He took pleasure in Rayla's obviously astonished face, but what positively surprised him was that she didn't make any snide comments. He fully expected her to make fun of him for taking on a the form of what his people called a lesser being. And yet, nothing came. It was as if it didn't matter. This threw Aaravos off track and made him see this single moonshadow elf in a slightly different light. If his son loved her so much, then maybe he could come to tolerate her, for Callum's sake. However, that left him between a rock and a hard place since he had promised to help Claudia. The only way he could get out of this without breaking his promise would be if Claudia herself decided she didn't want Callum anymore, and that seemed unlikely. The human witch was determined, ambitious and smart, which meant tricking her was hard. 

The perfect idea came to him when he looked back at his real self in the mirror. Callum was his son. His own magic and blood. He had inherited his horns, and clever mind, and surprisingly his grandmother's green eyes. _So what if...?_

 _Yes!_ He thought with a mischievous smile, _that could work._

Nobody was save from Aaravos if he wanted to do something. Not even family.

* * *

Far far away, on to of the highest mountain in Xadia the dragon queen caught a sniff of a scent she hadn't smelled in a thousand years. It was faint and could very well be her mind playing tricks on her, but she remembered the last time she had smelled it. The archmage it belonged to had simply been ahead of his time. The noble drsgoness let lightning fizzle over her fur to suppress a shudder. Avizandum was so blinded by his ego that he didn't see it back then, didn't see the potential in humans. So many thought of them beneath them just because they weren't born with an arcanum. Yet, this primal master saw it and he tried to teach them. Obviously he failed because his teachings opened the doors to dark magic, but back then his intentions were pure. 

Zubeia honestly believed that peace was possible. It was her dream to see humanity stand beside elven kind as one, united. The dragon queen still remembered who told her about such a world in the first place, and it was only because of her pleas that he wasn't destroyed. She regretted having to put him inside the mirror, even if it was for everyone's benefit. 

Sometimes she even envied the freedom that the humans were given. She has always been a storm dragon and would always be one until her end. Elves had it a bit easier, they could learn to cast from other sources, and even connect to them, but they were also bound by their birthright. Skywing will forever be skywing, no matter how many illusions may be placed on them. Thankfully her playing son was still too young to be plagued by such heavy thoughts. The dragon prince grew up too fast so she let him enjoy his innocence for as long as she could. 

Her loving smile vanished from her face when the breeze carried over the scent of the red scarf the dragon prince was playing with. Zubeia almost couldn't believe it, but the human prince smelled like the renegade archmage for some reason. This was where the scent came from that awoke all these long forgotten thoughts. She was no fool and long since out of her wild years, but she couldn't deny the fluttering feelings of wonder. If her suspicions were true the elves and humans were much more alike than they all had believed. This would turn the world upside down.

"Ibis!" She called out, "I have a task for you, my friend." 

The sky master arrived soon after. He was always ready to answer her majesty's call, coming and going as swiftly as a breeze. So when he glided in this time and bowed deeply, Zubeia felt her excitement bubble through. She couldn't wait to find out if her suspicions were true. If so, then she could reunite a family that was broken by her Love's claw. Creatures of the stars were rarely seen, so naturally they were knit tighter than most others. Their blood bonds were stronger, ran deeper, and didn't get lost in the void of time. 

"My queen?" Oh, she must have spaced out a bit.

"Ibis. I need you to fly swiftly and check up on prince Callum. There is something I wish to know. You can find him in the castle of Katolis as we speak." 

He was a bit surprised, but the sky mages had become good friends with each other, so Ibis wasn't complaining. He bowed again before he hurried out of the room to pack his bags for the trip, much to Zubeia's amusement. She knew the two were regularly flying against each other. However, if what she thought was true then Ibis might encounter a little surprise in the near future. The dragon queen laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And again: no spells in this one! :D
> 
> However I have something to note down here. I'm going to have to make up some random people. They won't be actual characters though, except for one. Stay tuned if you want to meet him~!


	8. Through My Nightmare

Two days flew by as uneventful as a lazy midsummer night's dream. To anyone passing by the world stood still while one day bled into another. However, to Callum and Rayla it did not. After finding out about Aaron's real self Callum asked him about magic, and it had looked good for about two minutes, before the disguised elf told him a very crisp, court and clear, "no."

In truth, Aaravos was concerned about his son's well-being. He knew that any spark of dark magic could kill this unique child if he had inherited any of his magical potential. As unlikely as it seemed, Aaravos didn't want to risk it before he wasn't absolutely sure that Callum did not have an arcanum. Yet before he could ask, the boy had turned around and stormed off. It left the father with a hollow feeling in his chest, right where his heart was supposed to be. 

* * *

"Prince Callum! Prince Callum! Master Ibis has arrived and is asking for you." 

Callum climbed out of the bathtub he had been hiding in since the disastrous talk with his father. He wasn't sure what to think after such blunt refusal from him. Doubts and fears started to float around in his mind, so the prospect of seeing his sky master again was wonderful. He really needed a wing to lean on as soon as possible, or a trusted friend to vent to. Fortunately Ibis was both. While he rushed to get dressed Callum looked around for the bundle of clothes that his father gave him. He wanted to impress Ibis, and hopefully get the skywing elf to make a funny face again. When he had shown him _"Fulminis"_ for the first time, Ibis baffled face was priceless, and Callum wanted to top that.

It was a beautiful ensemble of dark blue, like the night sky, that was accented with pale electrum. Unlike the human or moonshadow styled clothing he usually wore nowadays, this outfit was clearly made for a child of the stars, given how much it sparkled. Humans would call it a short sleeved shirt with a hood, but Aaravos told him the elves called it an _alba_. Completion of the outfit came in the form of a dark pair of soft leather pants and matching boots with an electrum trim. 

Over he was done he could admire himself in a mirror. It was very similar to what his father's true self was wearing, and yet it was much more modest. Callum knew he would never understand why his dad was walking around bare-chested, but with a cloak. There was no point to it, besides looking like the prime example of an evil sorcerer. Idly Callum wondered who his father was trying to impress. He made a mental note to draw his father's real self soon to feed his ego and vain streak. 

With more pep in his step the young mage enjoyed his walk towards the only place master Ibis would venture to on a sunny day like this one. Katolis was a down to earth kind of kingdom. They didn't have sand, swamp or snowy mountains like the other human kingdoms. Sure, they had the cursed caldera, but nobody was allowed to know about it's true name and function as moon nexus. Which left only grassy fields and emerald green oceans of forest. As a sky master Ibis would most likely be dancing with the wind on top of one of the towers, so all Callum had to do was go to the courtyard and call him. There was just one small problem, a tiny problem, or rather two seriously bamboozled ones. 

"Uh, hi?" He waved tentatively at the gathered dragon guard recruits that gaped at him.

He has seen both of them during the battle of the storm spire, and he was sure both knew his aunt very well. However, he wasn't sure if that made any difference because the sunfire lady and skywing girl kept gawking at him. Ibis must have brought them along to get used to working alongside humans. After ending the war there was still tension, distrust and segregation. The two races struggled to lay down old rotten teachings. Which is why Callum was even happier to see elves peacefully visiting Katolis. For a moment he thought about asking them where Ibis was, but that became unnecessary as soon as dark blue feathers fell around them, announcing the arrival of the sky master and royal mage. 

He wore a tunic in the soft colors of the morning sky, green and aqua were the most vibrant. It was sleeveless of course, and definitely more casual than what he donned during the big battle. That reassured Callum a bit, since it meant Ibis wasn't stressed or grumpy. The blue elf dismissed his mage wings in an elegant swoosh while he turned around to face Callum better. His eyes almost fell out of his head when he saw his student.

"Hey, Ibis! It's been a while since we spoke. How are you?" 

But Ibis wasn't interested in small talk. He went straight down to business, "what happened to you, Callum? Who or what caused this?" He asked slowly and carefully.

The dragon queen's words echoed through the skywing's head while his eyes traced the curves and pattern of Callum's horns. Deep down he knew they were familiar, but who, where and when he's seen something alike was a mystery to him. His attention drifted back to his student as soon as he started to speak. The need to hear, listen and learn was greater than the need to ponder. 

"Apparently I have some elven ancestry. I can't tell you more because I'm still trying to figure it out, but that's why I have these. They grew in a few days ago." 

Callum remembered his promise to his father this time. He trusted Ibis with his life, but not with his father's, and so he decided to go with half truths and vague answers. After all, it was a incredibly fantastical story of how he came to be. The brain gymnastics one needed to reach this point were borderline crazy. Ibis seemed to buy his explanation for now, and he made the so long awaited expression that Callum had been waiting for. 

Ibis looked more closely at Callum. The color and shape of elven horns could be used to determine their heritage and ancestry. The horns revealed which type of elf one was looking at, while markings were magically gifted to children by their parents. However, Callum didn't have any markings, yet, so all Ibis could see was that Callum's ancestors were connected to the stars. The sky master didn't even want to know how that came to be. Then he remembered his mission.

"Queen Zubeia sent me to come and see you. She's been... Interested in how you are doing." Ibis little pause flew right over Callum's head. 

"Oh! Tell her my thanks when you return. Wait, how long are you staying?" 

"If you can stand having me around for a week then a week it shall be?" Shot Ibis back playfully. It was hard to stay serious around a very excited Callum. 

* * *

Not to far away a man with grey hair and pale skin sat on the porch of a cozy cottage. The nearby villagers of the proud little nest called Lupin knew his as a sort of hermit, but he was never unkind to any visitors as long as he was treated with respect. The elderly man was presumed blind. The cloth wrapped tightly around his face being the main reason how this theory came to be. Many people here asked him why he didn't went to a dark mage to get them fixed, but he always replied with the same answer: 

"I will be fine. Thank you for your concern." 

The way the hermit spoke made him sound like nobility, and yet he didn't act like it. He washed his own clothes, cooked his own meals and even sew his own clothes. Pampered nobility wouldn't be able to do these things, according to the villagers and passers. He got few of the latter though, and for that he was very thankful. The man wanted peace and quiet, solitude and solace. He needed to gather himself and repair the cracks in his soul, and the lovely forest cottage was just the right place. He could even see Katolis in the distance. A day's worth of walking and he could be there, if he could make the trip that is.

The house was small, just enough for a young family with one child. The windows were artfully crafted and painted to resemble the sky, while the roof's stones were overtaken by moss. The bedroom and what could have been a child's room once had stars painted on the ceiling that made the old man gasp awestruck by it's detail and beauty. He often wondered who originally lived there, so very long before he decided to hide in this serene place. Tranquility became his heaven, but he knew that he would one day return to hell and then come back. For the sake of humanity. 

Once he was sure that he was completely alone the man lit a candle made from the bus of a moon phoenix as well as the ear wax of a dragon. He calmed his breath with practiced ease as he rose his hands to grab onto the wall to lessen the pain. His whole arm was covered in dark marks. Cracks, his mind supplied. He looked like a cracked stone statue. Yet despite the fact that his arms were burning with dark fire he pushed on to complete this relatively small spell. Some ashes were added and he felt a surge of magic rush through his brittle frame, corruption spreading with every second.

_"Srekees ykoms niaga esir, nellaf eht fo hsa!"_

As soon as he was done a very small shadowy bird arose from the smoke. It's dark body glowed with supernatural violet light, making it seem evil to the casual observer. It chirped, then flew off to serve it's purpose. The man needed to speak with his friend. His condition wasn't getting better any time soon and he needed a special kind of medicine to help speed up his recovery. He wanted to see his daughter again. 

It was time to plan the next move, and for that the man eyed the huge ornate bookshelf that held tomes older than his grandparents. The knowledge in these was his only hope of ever truly healing his scars and allow him to walk in the sunlight once more like any other human. He brushed off some dust, straightened his collar and then sat down to start. Viren wasn't a man who gave up that easily, and right now his message must have arrived.

* * *

Claudia heard the twittering before she saw the smoke bird. On its leg it carried a letter and her heart swelled up with love when she saw it. Her father wrote her as often as he could, which wasn't often at all. Once or twice in a fortnight maybe, possibly trice if he felt strong enough or it was important. She knew why he was in such a state. It was all the moonshadow girl's fault that her beloved father couldn't even step into direct sunlight anymore. Her and the eternally damned sun elves with their sun magic cast her father into darkness, making it so that the daylight sun burnt his skin like some sort of vampire. He was not, Claudia knew that to be true. Yet, he was still damned to walk in the shadows or else he will die. 

With tender care she unrolled the letter while the smoke bird sang her cheerful songs. It sat obediently on her finger. It's soulless glowing eyes following her every move.

> My dear, how much I wish I could see you now. I miss you greatly. Today the markings hurt again, but I'm sure they will heal soon. However, I want you to ask dear "Aaron" for another vial of that medicine he gave me during our travels. 
> 
> I love you

No name. Of course they couldn't risk such a thing. If anyone in the castle suspected that she was playing with them, that she was acting out a script, then she would be imprisoned at best. However, Claudia didn't need to see her father's name written on the paper to know it was from him. She would go and ask Aaron for his miracle potion as soon as she could burn the letter, to not leave any evidence of her shenanigans. A quick wave with her hand made it flare up in red, then turn to grey ashes in the wind. The smoke bird followed suit. Once her room was looking pristine again, she stepped outside. 

  
Just as she was turning around to walk towards the main hallway she bumped into someone else. At first she honestly apologized, but when she saw that it was the moonshadow elf that she had practically ran over she had to hide a smirk. Her eyes wandered over her four fingered hands and horns, her white hair and the pinkish skin. It was so inhuman, so alien and strange to her. Claudia couldn't understand why Callum chose her. Then she froze. Her potion. She gave the elf a potion, and nothing seemed to have changed. Claudia's dark slate colored eyes flew over every silver-white strand of Rayla's hair that she could find, only to see no differences. This would be the first time one of Aaravos' potions didn't work.

 _What went wrong?_ She asked herself. 

With her heart hammering in her chest Claudia bolted towards the nearest door to get away as soon as possible. Her hand was already around a doorknob when Rayla grabbed her wrist. Her pale lilac eyes looked soft and honest. They were almost human, key word being: almost. Claudia remembered that her father had slightly violet eyes as well when he was younger, but they changed to a silver grey not too long ago. 

"Are you okay? I know we don't get along, but ya seem like yer have seen a ghost..?" Claudia hated her accent, even if a small part of her appreciated the elf's attention and concern. 

"No ghosts!" She quickly replied, "but I need to speak with master Aaron as soon as possible. Someone I know needs a healing potion, fast!" 

As Aaron taught her: you don't need to lie. You only need to limit the amount of information you give. Tell people what they want to hear and they will believe anything you say without questions.

It worked, because Rayla's eyes grew wide and she had a determined sparkle in her eyes when she spoke, "Then let's go! Two see more than one. Together we can find him faster!" 

And this was how Claudia found herself working together with the murderer of her father, racing through the castle where she grew up too find the cure that would save said father. It pleased her much to use Rayla's heroic streak against her for once. If only she had known that she was saving Lord Viren of all people, but alas Claudia stayed quiet. This was a silent pleasure for now, but she dreamed about the day when she could rub it into Rayla's face, and finally repair her world. Soon everything would be like it was supposed to be again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a canon dark spell in here:  
> "Ash of fallen, rise again smoky seekers" - the book says it can be used to create all kinds of smoke animals, even people, so I think making a little bird sounds reasonable.
> 
> I'm pretty sure we all know by now what a "Fulminis" is lol
> 
> Electrum actually exists in our world. It's a impure naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver. I'm about 90% sure that this is what Aaravos accessories are made of because of it's color. Besides, if sun = gold and moon = silver, then it would make sense for the stars to be in-between both. Oh look at me rambling...


	9. Morning Will Come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I had serious problems writing this chapter because of. . . you'll see.  
> Just know that I'm still working on this and I have not abandoned it! :D

Rayla was the one who finally found Aaron sitting under the old wrinkled apple tree in the courtyard, reading a book about a pair of tragic lovers and a secret tunnel through the mountains. At Claudia's relieved shout he looked up to greet them both with a smile. He bookmarked where he left off while he quickly stood up to properly face them. From the way the two girls were behaving it seemed like a matter of life or death, and he had a strong suspicion who's nearing his end. Still, he needed to confirm it first. There was no gain from rushing into things without sufficient information, not even on such a lovely and warm summer day.

The elf in human skin waited patiently for his visitors to catch their breath while he listened to the orchestra of the wind to calm his nerves. The wild summer breeze always brought along such wonderful rustles that could pull anything into tranquility. The air aspect of the sky primal was freeing, playful even. The wind danced around like a carefree child, taking with it all of the world's worries, and then blow them away on its eternal journey. Aaravos felt it, having a connection with the sky himself, and he drew strength from it for what was sure to come in the next few minutes. When it didn't, he decided to coax the dreaded drama out of its hiding spot.

"How may I serve you?" That never got old. Aaravos smirked at the visible shudder that rattled through his visitor's bones.

"We've been looking for you all over the place! Claudia says it's important." Supplied Rayla, giving Claudia the spotlight to start talking like a river.

"Master! I need one of your healing potions. My pen pal, you know that special one, he's getting worse again. It's urgent. Very very urgent!"

He let golden eyes dance from girl to girl with a half amused smile. It never ceased to amaze him how devoted and loyal Claudia was to her father. Secretly he wished Callum would one day be the same, but Aaravos was no fool. His son was far too independent, and besides, clingy children were but a step from dolls on a string. Either Callum would willingly join him , or he would have to live with the fact that his son stood as his enemy. Speaking of enemies. Aaravos felt his mouth twitch, Claudia was working together with Rayla. It greatly amused the old archmage to see them both together.

"It certainly must be urgent if you two are getting along. Now, let me see if I have the vial with me or if we need to collect it from my room." He mused.

Of course Aaravos had it with him. A potion of that caliber was too valuable to just toss around like a common cup of soup. After some theatrics to mess with the two girls he finally fished it out of a pocket in his coat. It looked like a dark red wine, but it wasn't anything like any mundane grape juice out there. The deep red liquid tasted similar to human made strawberry marmalade, but in truth it was made of blood, some herbs and the powder of a Xadian pillow-moth. Not that dear Viren needed to know this.

The poor man was in quite the situation now. It was common knowledge that a failed purification ritual burned your soul, and then Viren fell from the spire. By all accounts, he died twice that day, and he was indeed gone for a bit, but then Claudia brought him back, using magic never even dreamed of before. Aaravos himself seemed both amazed and terrified, which meant something. This was Elarion all over again, may her soul rest in peace. 

"Claudia, be so kind and remind our friend to take it easy. There is no need to challenge our luck." 

His tone of voice made the little witch shiver. Whoever thought the archmage wasn't aware of his allure and voice like silk was a fool. Of course Aaravos knew how to draw people in, how to captivate their attention and then play with them. Rayla should have been no exception, except that she was. For some strange reason she didn't respond to his charming personality. What kind of being can withstand me? 

* * *

Meanwhile Callum experienced elven elitism first hand for the first time. He was used to defending himself and his humanity from their rude comments, but this time it was far worse. Ibis didn't seem to care much about Callum's ancestry, even if he was twice as tense as a sail during a storm. The elven guards with him didn't have any kindness in their hearts for him however. The two openly mocked him, refused to give their names and engage in any polite conversation, and they even dared to insult Rayla. Many they insult him for all he cared, but Rayla didn't deserve this. She was a hero, a true paragon in his eyes, and not whatever vile thing the elves came up with. That was when Callum saw red. He apologized for what was to come soon enough, then turned around before Ibis could stop him. 

"What is your problem?!" He bellowed annoyed. _Why can't we just all get along?_

It finally earned him an answer, but said answer cut deeper than silence could ever hope to, "you are a freak of nature. You don't belong anywhere! Humans are, well humans, and I can work with them. You though, you are a abomination. What do you pay her for a night? Hm?" 

"Leave Rayla out of this!"

"You dragged her into the mud with you, mixed breed. Because of you she isn't pure anymore. Oh yes, speaking of purity! What dark ritual has your mother done to give you magic? How many elves had she sacrificed to create you?" 

Callum started to cry, but Ibis held him back. The sky master was torn apart between helping his student, who was the kindest brightest soul he ever met, or following the teachings of his people. He was stuck, unable to do anything besides holding back the young man. It seemed to work. Callum calmed down slowly but surely with every carefully drawn circle on his back. Ibis thanked the breeze that nothing bad happened, but a second later the sunfire guard in training ruined his accomplishment.

"I heard that wretch is dead. I bet he killed her to get his dark abilities. No mutt would ever be blessed with true magic after all."

_"Saggita ventus inlustris!"_

And when two hands drew two runes at the same time the wind howled in anger. Jets of stormy air mixed up with pure starlight to form spears straight out of anyone's nightmare. Five in total and as long as Callum was tall, these spears shot down to crash into the ground right in front of the elves that dared to insult a person they didn't even know. They knew nothing about him, Rayla and their relationship. 

However once it was over he gasped as he saw what he caused. Callum only wanted to show off. All he intended to do was show them that he was worth something, that he was pure and didn't need dark magic. He never wanted to cause so much destruction. And yet that was exactly what his improvised hybrid spell had done. The grass was burned to a crisp in a circular shape reminiscent of ripples on a pond. The biting smell of smoke clawed itself into his nose and burned a memory into his mind that was sure to follow him for years now. 

Thankfully the two bullies made it out alive and relatively well. They didn't suffer from more than bruises and a few scratches, and could very well still stand. Callum on the other hand was having some difficulties standing so he dropped to his knees. With trembling hands was he trying to hug himself, to give himself some comfort, but it didn't help much. The shame and grief held him firmly in their grasp. 

Naturally a explosion of this caliber drew attention. Soon enough the place was overrun by firefighters, soldiers and healers that were just as shocked to see the devastation than their prince. It became loud very suddenly, and everything started to feel like too much. Callum desperately wished to run and hide somewhere. His wish was granted when two strong arms wrapped themselves around him to shelter him from the world. Aaravos, his father, was shielding him from everything and Callum was more than grateful. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! Please, I didn't want to..." He hissed out between guilt ridden sobs. 

Aaravos only sighed and held him closer, "it matters not. What is done is done and can not be changed. Learn from it, but don't let it chain you down." 

The father pulled his son away from the spectacle and to a nearby bench. In all honesty, he was impressed by the sheer power of his child, but that wasn't something he felt that he should talk about in that moment. Instead he let his paternal instincts guide him. Callum needed emotional support or else he would be broken for the rest of his life and that was just simply unacceptable. 

"Callum? Can you hear me? Callum, listen to me." He started gently, "you made a mistake but nobody was seriously hurt and people are already fixing things. It is over. You can let go of it now." 

"But I did that! I lost it. It's all my fault that they got hurt. I snapped! How can I just let that go?!" 

"When I was your age I destroyed an entire tower because of a stupid quarrel. I hurt people, I seriously hurt them, but you had the restraint and control to not hurt these elves. They are quite shocked, but not harmed. See this as a lesson. Learn from it, but don't let it destroy you. Just, breathe." 

Callum looked shocked into his father's eyes. He has never heard anyone besides his mother speak to him like this. From the few stories he's heard Callum knew his father wasn't innocent, far from it actually, but it was still unsettling to hear it from him so bluntly. Meanwhile Callum started to feel sick so he turned around to let his head rest sideways against his father's chest, just in case he needed to quickly bend over into a bush. 

"What did they do to you? I know you're not a aggressive person." 

"They insulted him, his family and his love."

A third voice answered Aaravos, and thankfully he was in his human form or else he might have done something Callum wasn't supposed to see. Ibis approached the two with a deep frown on his face. Aaravos knew the sky master almost as well as he knew the previous dragon guard. He may not have been able to talk to them, but he was content to watch them hurry around and full fill the wishes of their dragon king. There was no mistaking it, if Ibis knew who he was talking to, then he would be dead in a second. It wasn't a question of when, but how he would be executed. Somehow this imminent danger gave him a thrill.

"I see. What exactly did they say to my son? I might be able to provide additional information on why he acted like... Well like this. This isn't Callum, I know my boy and he wouldn't do this unless provoked." 

"You are his father?" Ibis asked surprised, then he added more calmly "I thought his father was an elf?" 

"Do I look like an elf to you?" Aaravos was mentally laughing at the whole situation. 

As Ibis let his eyes wander from father to son he had to admit that the resemblance was too great to be just a coincidence. However, his queen's words still rang through his head and that left him with a tiny splinter of doubt, and much like any regular splinter this one would irritate until it could be removed. There was something very fishy going on, in Ibis' opinion, and he would figure out the enigma that is Callum's family. For now he receded to passively watch. Besides, he had a mess to clean up. His mission to uncover the secrets of Callum's family could wait for one more day, if that meant he could see the boy as a human for a bit longer. If he were indeed a half breed, then Ibis was sure their friendly relationship would become very awkward and rather cold. 

"I am called Aaron, and I have lived here for longer than most of these soldiers. Now, do I seem elvish in any way? I'm flattered you think I do, but I'm afraid I will disappoint you." _If only you knew my real self, how disappointed you would be. Ha! You would be either running in fear or attacking me on the spot._

"No, you do not. My apologies, sir." Answered Ibis after a short while.

"If I may? I wish to tend to my son now. Worry not, I'm going to discipline him afterwards. Something like this will never happen again." 

At first Callum feared the lecture that he would get, but Aaravos grip on his arm was light and he didn't hold anger in his eyes when he looked down into his own. He was as gentle as a falling feather, until gold eyes spotted the people who had previously insulted him. That's when Callum saw warm gold turn so cold that it looked like someone had trapped lightning in them. He suspected that if his father was in his true form his eyes might have glowed. It should have scared him. By all means he should have been repulsed and terrified by the pure hostility that shone in his father's eyes, but all Callum could feel was gratefulness. The young mage was grateful that he was on his side, watching out for him and protecting him. A tiny part of him was asking itself if this was what Claudia felt towards Viren before she came back.

If only he knew the truth, but living in a lie is often far sweeter. And yet, the truth is built solid and can not be broken as easily as the delicate web of lies spun by a careless hand. Fortunately Aaravos wasn't careless, but even he feared what might happen if the weight of the truth broke through his carefully crafted illusion of a life he may never have otherwise. Callum was strong and smart. If anyone could beat him it was his own blood. He just hoped it would never come to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some spells!  
> Saggita ventus inlustris - this one is homebrew latin. It's supposed to mean "starlight storm arrow" and is one of Callum's hybrid spells.  
> 25.08 Fixed some spelling errors!


	10. And Bring The New Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope nobody thought I abandoned this?  
> Because this took so long, I've included a little surprise at the end of this chapter.

Being grounded meant being kept inside his father's mirror. Aaravos had lured his son and his little girlfriend in, and then froze the surface of the mirror to prevent them from leaving. It wasn't ideal, and some people would certainly disagree with this parenting style, but Aaravos was not some random parent. He was an archmage, the greatest of them all. Besides, having someone with him in the mirror was a wonderful feeling. After so many years of suffocating solitude he was elated to have someone to talk to. 

Watching both of the young lovers sit down before the fireplace to listen to his stories felt even better. He made sure to exclusively tell happy ones to keep the mood up. Now that he found out his son could use not only magic from one primal source, but from at least two others he was careful to leave out any spells from his retellings. If they were anything alike, then he knew Callum would soak up any knowledge thrown at him with little fear nor hesitation.

On the topic of magic, Aaravos felt divided. A large part of him wanted to share his knowledge so that his legacy may live on. Another part, his rational side, told him that it was dangerous. Too many people could become suspicious, and that would not only endanger him, but Callum was well. His stomach was already flipping upside down when he barely thought about Callum traveling through Xadia looking like this. A human was tolerable, a half-breed was not. Savior of the dragon prince he may be, but that was quickly overlooked once they knew what he was. Silently and secretly Aaravos wished to keep his boy inside the mirror where he was safe. Alas, he needed to let him go. A father shouldn't keep his son from reaching out to grasp the stars. A tiny voice inside his head whispered that Callum would not join his cause if he was sheltered too much.

"Callum, come here for a moment. Please?" He called seriously. 

The boy obliged and stood up from his place near the fireplace, to walk four steps to stand before him. Trusting green eyes looked at him with curious expectation, while the soft amber light made them glow. In the dimly lit study it was easy to mistake Callum for an Earthblood elf, but if Aaravos plan worked, then the boy wouldn't need to worry about passing as one of them. He had carefully crafted this spell from the moment he saw Callum's horns. From the rune to the draconic word, he forged this spell for the sole purpose to protect Callum from other elves by hiding his human heritage. It was a masterpiece of moon magic. One that was artistic in nature, and even harder to see through than the curse of the caldera. It was uniquely tailored to fit only Callum, cast by an legendary archmage, and nearly undetectable.

Aaravos brushed Callum's hair aside with a fond expression on his face. In only a few days the boy had cemented himself into his heart. When he was sealed inside the mirror he tried everything to escape, going far enough to drive any other person mad. He long since have up the thought of ever starting a family. It was still unreal at times, and even though he had some problems with her at first, he was fine with having Rayla around as well now. Callum loved her and she loved him, who was he to deny his heir? Aaravos was too proud to become a hypocrite and cage his own blood, when he wanted freedom. 

Calmly he asked his question loud enough that even Rayla heard it, "Do you want to travel through Xadia without them judging you?" 

"What?"

"Do you wish to travel, visit the elven cities, without being targeted and harassed for being part human?" 

It took him a moment to understand what his father was talking about, but when he finally figured it out, it showed clearly in his face. The way in which bright emerald faded into a swampy moss easily gave away what the teenager was thinking about. He still didn't know why these two were so spiteful. He never hurt them, so he didn't find any reason why they would want to insult him and his loved ones. Plainly, it hurt Callum deeply. Meanwhile Aaravos was still waiting for his answer with a undeterred patience that only a parent could possess. Callum decided he should not make him wait any longer.

"Yes, but this peace thing is so new, I don't hold it against people to be unsure about it. I'll be fine." Callum was trying to make himself believe that. 

"You won't be." The father shook his head, "half elves usually don't make it past their infancy, and those who do end up shunned. Some were even killed for being impure." 

Callum's face turned as white as a sheet of paper. His eyes searched for Rayla's in the hope that she could deny these grim claims. The eyes he loved so much didn't hold the answers he wanted to hear. Ending your own child's life for such a stupid reason made his blood boil. Still, Callum knew that if he wanted people to change, then he needed to talk to them. He needed to be an example. However, he still wanted to go on this journey with Rayla. Callum didn't want to be the reason why Rayla couldn't be an ambassador. 

"I want to hide your human heritage. It's for your own safety. May I?" 

Callum nodded a bit tensely, but he was still trusting him. Oh, so very trusting green eyes that held the innocence and shine of youth. Under the magical twilight that shone through massive stained glass windows Aaravos could almost see Callum's face markings, or at least he imagined them. He wondered for the first time if his child got his, or entirely new ones. The deep longing made what he was about to do just so much sweeter. Yet, it was a bittersweetness that dried his heart until it was so hollow that he didn't feel any regrets and remorse anymore. 

Now was the moment Aaravos had been waiting for. He used both of his hands to draw a moon rune into the air before him that looked like a full moon, with three moonbeams around it. Next to it he continued with more lines that wound around the main rune like vines, or the handle of a mirror. Carefully he wove one string of magic after another until the spell was complete, making his full moon look like a lunar eclipse. 

_"Hereditum altera!"_

Both Rayla and Aaravos had to look away when a bright light flashed while the spell did what it was supposed to do. When they opened their eyes again, Callum wasn't human anymore. Instead of his warm peach, his skin was the color of the late evening sky. Brown hair that was once so very human was now a elvish shock white. Lastly was Callum's face, for now there were a set of six diamonds resting under his eyes like they were meant to be there. If not for their size they could have been an exact match with Aaravos' own, but they were smaller, younger.

"Callum?" Rayla watched him carefully and with a critical eye. Deep down she was fearful that he had changed too much, but her worries were for naught. The green of his eyes was still the same. Like twinkling emerald, they shone at her so full of curiosity, kindness and life that it chased away her doubts and worries. This was still her Callum and he would always be him, no matter what he looked like. 

"To dispel the magic, cast the command _"Altera"_ while connecting with the moon and the stars." Instructed Aaravos as patiently as always, but he didn't hide all of his excitement. Rayla doubted that he could. 

"Now, I have only one thing to ask of each of you two before I let you go. While you are on your journey across the land, young ambassador, I want to ask you to watch over my son. Callum, you I ask to look for my staff. The last time I saw it it was in Viren's possession." Nothing in Aaravos' tone revealed if his request was malicious or not, so without a reason to doubt him the two agreed.

Deep in the back of his head he hoped that they would run across Viren. His plans had changed and they didn't include the fallen high mage anymore. As he was now, he was of no use to him anymore anyway, so having Rayla do his work for him was a rather sweet thought. His smile appeared pure and warm when he waved the two lovers goodbye. It was not, but they didn't need to know that.

* * *

A elven man sat on a stark white wrinkly root that glowed slightly pink in the late evening light. His hair was braided neatly into one long spiral and was decorated with many small diamonds. As calmly as an owl he read a book, only ever moving to turn a page every once in a while. 

For an elf the man was ancient. For a star touched being, he was just old. Eight thousand years were a long time, half of them wasted looking for someone who was dead. He had lost so much already to this ever changing world. Even a single thought to his wife and son let his golden eyes shimmer with unshed tears. First he lost him, then he lost her as well. Now he was alone. So, so very alone.

He prayed to the stars for guidance, six diamonds glowing under his eyes in response to his heartbroken request. All he wished for was to reunite with his heir and blood, preferably alive, but also dead. Startouch were realists, seeing the bigger picture and the growing twigs of alternative paths. However, that also meant that they wouldn't blind themselves with dreams and make believes. He let the star magic in his heart grow and flow through his body during his prayer, offering up everything he had left, and it got him a reward.

The sudden flash of a young moonshadow elf made him snap out of his meditation. The stars told him that she was the compass that could guide him to his destination. She was the key to his self assigned mission, and he knew how to find her. Every elf in Xadia knew her by now. She was the savior of the dragon prince.

With renewed vigor the ancient sorcerer clasped his book shut and stood up. His robes flew out like a veil of darkness and around his neck a pendant lit up under the last rays of the he fading sun. He pulled up his hood as he stepped into the wilderness around him, letting six diamonds glow with white starlight under his eyes. 

"I will find you. I swore an oath to your mother, I will get you back." 

* * *

Ezran wasn't sure what to think of the day. Everything went smoothly after the battle of the storm spire, and suddenly one strange thing was happening after another. The young kind king was ready to collapse into the pillow fort he called his bed when his father's bird came in. Pip landed on the bedpost and watched him curiously, but not in a way a bird should. It took Ezran a few minutes and much careful observation to see it, but there it was. Pip wasn't acting like a bird. 

It wasn't like he could talk to the animals he encountered, but he has a certain connection with the fauna around him. It allowed Ezran to feel what the animal in question was trying to tell him, like some sort of extra sense. However, when he tried to connect to Pip in this way he felt empty. Pip's "voice" spoke in a language that was too human for Ezran to understand properly, and it both scared and intrigued him. 

"Who are you? I mean, who are you really?" He asked the bird. 

His answer was a chirp, then Pip took off to fly over to Ezran's desk. The young king kept personal items there, as well as a hidden stash of sweets that nobody knew about. He looked into Pip's eyes, so full of longing and desperation, but also pride. When Ezran saw these eyes he finally made a connection, even if it was as thin as a thread of silk. However, it was a beginning and he could build it up. He could learn and grow from this. This let new excitement rush through him. He followed the bird with a focused look on his face, searching for little details that he missed before.

"What is it?" He asked eagerly, "what do you want to tell me?" 

Pip landed on the frame of one of their family drawings. Callum had made this from memory years ago, after they lost their mother. It was a picture of their while family, Sarai beside Harrow and Callum hugging Ezran from behind. Informal as it was, it was Ezran's favorite. Then he saw that the bird was pointing with a clawed foot to the painted face of king Harrow. 

"I miss dad too." Was Ezran's sad reply. He thought that the bird missed it's owner, but then it did something so unexpected that it made Ezran gasp sharply.

It, no - he wrote three words with his talon. "I am alive." 

And with renewed hope Ezran did as his brother did before him had done and started to cry. He remembered the ill formed idea of lord Viren to swap his father's soul with a two headed soulfang serpent. What worked with two human's souls also worked with an animal and a human. Now everything made sense to the young king and he could not be happier. He had his father back. King Harrow was alive. 

"Dad..." 

Harrow placed both of his wings around his son to hug him as best as he could in the body he now possessed. It wasn't perfect, but to Ezran it didn't matter. All that was important was that they were together once more. They couldn't wait to tell Callum the good news, even though Ezran thought it was best to keep this a family secret for now. With Callum touring around in Xadia, he would find a way to reverse this. Callum made the impossible possible before, he could do so again. At least Ezran hoped that he could.

* * *

After Callum and Rayla left, Aaravos was left to think. The room that had been so lively before seemed empty now, but for the first time in a thousand years he didn't feel lonely. He thought of his son. His impossible son, that by all means was everything he ever hoped his heir to be. Callum was a true wild card that ruined everything, but also opened so many new doors. He just had to open his son's eyes to the truth. The dragons were their enemies. They were oppressors, following laws and traditions that benefited them only. They stamped out any form of progress to keep the elves subservient and the humans far beneath them. 

_No more._ Aaravos thought. _No more of this. I will bring and end to this. I will break this cycle!_

Before he went to bed he carefully traced the lines of the sketch Callum made just for him. It was to keep him company while his son was gone, and that brought a smile to Aaravos' face. His fingers ran over the paper as lightly as he could, afraid to ruin it if he were too rough. It showed him teaching Callum some small but useful things, after he cast the Altera spell. This was what he was fighting for. This was the world he wanted to create.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Hereditum altera" - Roughly translated it means "changed heritage" It's one of these frankenspells I came up with


	11. Banish Feelings Of Gloom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still working on this! Nope, I will not abandon this any time soon. I just need a while to write the chapters because everything has to be just right.

Ezran ran through the castle like a pack of angry bakers were chasing him. Servants had to dodge by spinning and twisting as their little king zipped past them. It was not unusual to see him run like this, but the fact that he had no jelly tarts in his arms was strange. When no exasperated master pastry chef came after him, the servants started to worry. However, nobody could just walk up to the king to ask him. It was improper, and against every court rule that knew. Opeli would have their ears if they ever dared to do this. 

So, they started to gossip. A well guarded secret among the servants of Katolis castle was that certain spots were safe places to talk freely with each other. These special walls did not have ears nor eyes, and they enjoyed it. From these spots an entire secret network of news and gossip was managed right under lady Opeli's nose.

Thankfully Ezran didn't know about these spots, or about the hushed whispers that followed him like a trail followed a meteorite. If he did, he might have made a small detour to talk to the servants before he went to Callum's room. Alas, he did not. He made it there in a record time even thought he was tired when he arrived. Catching his breath, Ezran knocked on the old but well maintained wooden door, something he had promised to do in case they were making sandwiches in there. There was some shuffling inside before he heard Rayla curse, and Callum ask who was there. 

"It's me! You need to see this!" 

"Ez? Yeah, you can come in, but let me warn you first... something big happened. Don't freak out. Okay?" Even through the door, Callum still sounded nervous. 

Whatever it was, Ezran didn't care. He loved his brother no matter what happened to him, or what he had done. They weren't making sandwiches, so it was fine to move on. Callum's something could not be any stranger than his father body-swapping with a magical song bird. Ezran huffed and Harrow seemed to agree. He chirped in a manner that resembled his famous soft chuckles when Ezran reached out to open the door. What he saw inside made one of his brows rise, but it was not nearly as bad as anything he had expected. Before their epic adventure he might have been shocked, but after seeing so many magical places, Ezran thought anything was possible. 

"It suits you." He simply said before he turned towards Harrow-pip.

The feathered king let out an agitated chirp. Every of his feathers shimmered in the faint light that shone into the castle interior, only to burn a bright green once sunlight hit them. Then he flew over to circle around Callum, taking in every detail of his new elvish form. He looked so out of place that it made him shuffle around awkwardly. If it wasn't for Ezran and his easy acceptance of anyone, he might have hidden under the bed. Harrow did not need a human body to read his stepson's body language.

"Callum! Callum! Look! It's dad's soul inside Pip. Viren just swapped them with that two headed soulfang serpent. I know it sounds weird, but I swear it's dad in there." 

"That sounds crazy indeed." The young mage agreed, and then he continued softer by saying "but... then again we have seen stranger things. Besides, animals are your specialty Ez. I'm not going to question your judgement. Nope, not again. Just know that if this is indeed your dad then I have no idea of how to bring him back." 

Rayla piped up, "I bet your father knows a way, and if he doesn't then we will be looking for it during our tour. Moonshadow promise!" 

A moonshadow elf always keeps a promise, and Rayla was no exception to that rule. However, in return they did not promise things easily and carelessly. A moonshadow promise was only a small step away from an unbreakable oath. 

Callum nodded firmly, "what she said!" 

It was both a huge relief and a bitter disappointment to the young king. On one hand they believed him, which was a huge step up from the situation at the cursed Caldera. On the other side he was sad and disappointed because they didn't know how to turn Harrow back into a human. The young king knew not to blame them, but this helplessness still hurt. There was something he really wanted, and he would give up a lot to get it, but it was just out of his reach. No matter how much he wished, hoped and tried. His yearning heart was not enough to restore his father's original form. However, Ezran remembered what Callum told him about his own father and that gave him hope. Aaravos was smart enough to find a solution. Ezran fully believed in the elven mage, and in the moonshadow promise. 

Harrow also agreed by bowing his head. However, he was very curious about Callum's birth father, if the way his head tipped sideways was any indication. Ezran would definitely introduced the two to each other after Callum and Rayla left. This renewed hope and drive flooded his heart with warmth and life. It ran through his body, making him feel full of energy. Ezran was ready to face the world, and find a way to turn his father back into his original form.

* * *

Claudia sat beside her brother. She had just returned from the small house where their father was staying in, and now she enjoyed the evening. If she thought hard enough about it then she could dream that everything was back to normal. That was how things were supposed to be. 

With a longing sigh did she dream of days past where Viren would speak with king Harrow under the apple tree. She saw Callum in it as well, drawing Soren while he sparred with Corvus under Opeli's watchful eye. If Claudia tried hard enough then she could almost smell the summer-burned air, the ripe apples and the faint aroma of jelly tarts. However, it was only a dream and she had to return to reality sooner or later. 

She jumped up with a shudder that made her shoulders tremble. Going into her father's tower she headed straight for the secret book shelf that was hidden behind a fake wall. One had to rip off the tail of a golden lizard ornament to open it, so she was sure that only her father and she herself knew about it. The book she was looking for was ancient and as dark as the deepest pits of the underworld. Claudia was no butterfly anymore. She was a raven in the night, a regal omen of approaching doom. Once, she had taken great pleasure in hearing the nickname. Now it only fueled her bitterness. It was beyond her why anyone would see dark magic as anything else than beautiful. 

She pocketed the old leather-bound book and hid the bookshelf again before anyone could see her, or take the other books. Ezran gave the order to burn all of the books about dark magic, which was a true tragedy in Claudia's eyes. So much knowledge was lost in such a short time. For human mages in all of the pentarchy it had truly been a bleak day. 

As she hushed through the the castle, a familiar shimmer of starlight caught her eye. She assumed that her father's worm had finally decided to rear it's head again, but she was disappointed to see an elf instead. He looked as far away from humanity as one could be, and yet his face was uncannily similar to someone she couldn't remember. She narrowed her eyes in an attempt to better see when the elf suddenly turned towards her. As if he had sensed her, he casually came closer. As he was approaching her, all Claudia wanted to do was run. 

* * *

Aaravos, or rather Aaron as his human self was called, prided himself to be both elegant and efficient. Nothing short of perfection was enough for him. This was why he got summoned by the kind king. Ezran just barely got over how he interrupted his brother's kissy kissy session with Rayla and it amused him to no end. He never expected to become a godfather, but now that he was one he was enjoying it fully. It was between a laugh and a snicker doodle when Ezran showed him a handsome songbird, clad in green and with eyes that definitely did not belong to any bird. It piqued Aaravos' inner curiosity.

"Who may you be? I know you were not always of the avian kind." He mumbled softly. 

"This is my father, king Harrow of Katolis. Dad, meet Callum's birth dad." 

Harrow made a single melodic peep as he studied Aaravos in his human form. Eventually the king turned bird flew back to perch on his son's shoulder, which have Aaravos the perfect opportunity for payback. It was now he who was inspecting the bird with a keen eye. There was magic, faint as it might have been, but it was not pure primal magic. This particular mess seemed to be caused by a two headed snake and a very careless dark mage. Yet, Harrow was only the second most interesting thing in the room, for Ezran and his ability to reach out and communicate was far more intriguing. Even a five millennia old elf like him has never seen this before and it was making him grin. Ezran was something new, something special, and Aaravos was his godfather which meant that Ezran was his. To a certain degree. 

Undoing the switch with the snake was easy, if there was a body to return to. He knew for sure from his son's galant retelling of their adventures that kind king Harrow's body was gone. Moonshadow assassins don't leave evidence, and that was just a fact. Unless they wanted to bother with the dark arts of necromancy, and he sincerely doubted his shining paragon of a son would, then they had a problem. He, of course, could do it behind their backs but that somehow did not sit well with his consciousness for some strange reason. Studying the young king's almost magical ability, his gift, was much more thrilling than dealing with a pesky soulfang serpent anyway. He needed to know how and why. With Callum on tour, Aaravos had time to focus on the younger brother. 

Then suddenly a guard burst into the room. The poor woman was as pale as a bag of flour. Her whole frame shook like the dry branches of a dead tree. 

"There has been a intruder, my king. Please, he is... something you need to see for yourself." 

Aaravos felt the faint connection with the stars that he had in his human form sing. Normally, this meant something interesting was going to happen, however after the mess Callum just caused, Aaravos wasn't sure if he wanted any more excitement for the rest of the week. Whatever shook the foundation of the starry sky this much was either a serious threat or a huge bother he did not want to deal with, much less with his dear son still around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No spells in this one, but I need to make a little announcement: there will be OCs. I promise they won't take over. All of these OCs are going to be used with care. This is a story about Callum and his dad after all.


	12. With The Words We Say

The throne room was empty except for the most elite crown guard members and a lone elf, touched by the stars. 

Callum was on his way, looking very much like he was his father's son when said father grabbed him by the scarf to hold him back. Rayla followed suit, but she managed to free herself almost immediately. Aaron shushed them both and let his eyes speak for him. They had to be quiet, and by the intensity of his look the young couple understood. Together they watched how Ezran stepped forward to sit on the throne. Opeli, Corvus and Soren surrounded him protectively. 

It was Opeli's voice that silenced everything in the room, "identify yourself. Why have you come?" 

"Young highness, you have my gratitude. However, my name would mean nothing to you, as it is lost to time itself. The purpose of this visit is my lost son. I am just a grieving father who is searching for his only child. Please, I mean you no harm." 

Ezran let his face relax and warmth flood into his wide eyes. He understood every last bit of how this elf felt, and as king Ezran "The Empathic" he immediately gave the order to release him. The guards knew by now that the small king did not like prisoners. To him that were more like guests, and sometimes they arrived in chains, but they were still guests no matter the circumstances.

Once free from the heavy iron the elf smiled gently, almost as tranquil as a pond. Golden eyes blinked owlishly for a bit, then he bowed elegantly. In one fluid motion he lowered his head and put his hand across his chest. When he stood up straight and folded his hands in front of Ezran, Callum thought he looked a lot like his father's true self. A quick look and his suspicion was confirmed. It was written as clear as daylight and as true as the constellations on his father's face. This old elf was Aaravos' father. This was his grandfather.

"I am called many names. 8000 years of life are more than enough for some nicknames and titles to be earned. However, my true name is Seerenos. I am a seer, and an archmage of the stars. Dear king, a recent vision showed me that my lost son might be here. I came to find him immediately." 

All that could keep Callum from running forward was Aaravos' steady hand on his shoulder. His father was holding him back for some reason, and it must have been a good one based on the hard look on his face. His grip what that of a tendrillion, just without the sharp teeth. Rayla didn't look much better herself, but her assassin's training made her wait and see on her own. With nothing else to do beside wait, Callum used the opportunity to study his grandfather's appearance. It honestly didn't differ much from his father's, except for the hair and horns. From what Callum could see the old elf's horns were even more branched, and they curled together like a snail's shell house. Seerenos' hair was braided, with woven in diamonds that sparkled like the earliest stars on the sky. 

Aside from that he was nothing like both of his descendants. Seerenos wore clothes that seemed more like a dress than a robe, the picture of nobility and pristineness. A long purplish pink veil covered his shoulders. It resembled a river's clear water while it moved with the slight breeze that went through the room. He was the prime example of regality and grace. In contrast to that stood Aaravos with his rather plain star speckled robes. For every sharp edge that Seerenos had, Aaravos style had a curve. For every muted shade of dark lilac that Aaravos wore, Seerenos' robes shimmered in bold pinks and reds. 

While both Callum and Aaravos had an air of innovation, magic and curiosity around them, the eldest member of the family was as traditional as he could possibly be. When he spoke time rewound itself to the far away days of the past. His posture and tone were older than antique, but not nearly as rusty. He was elegance and classical prestige incarnated, and topped off with a touch of gentleness. Seerenos stood straight while he spoke gallantly, like he was on a theatre's stage. Even his voice held much weight, while it dripped with an accent of days long past.

"Long ago, my dear child created something, a key that could unlock something powerful in every Xadian being. However, it was a surprise to see that it's powers weren't exclusive to Xadia, and it's elves. My son's key has the power to grant an arcanum to it's user, regardless of his or her species. He and his discovery was shunned by the elves, then banished by the dragons because they said it was against nature. They called it a mistake, a disease that would make magic sick. Avizandum called my son a mad traitor and then threw him away. I have not held him in so long. Help me find my child, please, and we will teach you the secrets of primal magic." 

A gasp echoed through the entire room that was powerful enough to shake the pillars of the world. 

"This place was once known as Elarion, before it was reborn as Katolis. My son declared it to be under his protection, and as such it is mine to treasure as well. My king, how may I serve you?" 

As Callum felt his throat tighten, Rayla had a look of incredible shock on her face. Meanwhile Aaravos himself was looking a little absent. He was watching his own father with misty eyes and a burning hatred that was born from betrayal. Occupied with his inner struggle he didn't notice how Rayla had jumped up and was now walking towards the young king and his old starry guest. 

"Rayla! You made it." Ezran's cheerful reply eased some of her worries. 

It only made the dread in Aaravos' chest weigh heavier. In a heartbeat he cast the spell that turned Callum human and rushed after the moonshadow ambassador. He was careful to stay clear of his father's eyes, and hide his own as much as he could. Hornless, human Callum was then pushed into his girlfriend's arms so that Aaron could stand in front of the two protectively. All of this happened in the small span of five seconds, and with a grace that was unmatched by any human.

"Callum! Aaron! You too. Duh, of course you would come, you always keep your promises. I'm glad to see you." 

Seerenos shot the young king a look of disbelief before he glared at Rayla with the strength of a thousand suns. His pale golden eyes almost glowed while hate rushed through them, but he hid it well. Only Opeli, Callum and Aaravos himself could see it. Rayla was too busy making sure that Callum was okay to pay attention to the strange startouch elf. 

"She... Is a guest?" The ancient archmage finally asked. 

And it was Ezran who responded, "She is. She is also my brother's future wife." 

Both Rayla and Callum almost chocked on their spit. They weren't even even engaged, yet. Both would need to have a serious conversation with Ezran later, but for now they needed to focus on their guest. Apparently, he thought the same. Golden eyes watched Callum stumble around with interest, and an almost fond sparkle. Then a fury like no other overtook him. Bright hot hellfire crept into the elder's golden eyes once they settled on Rayla. Despite his name, Seerenos was anything but calm. Awkward silence started to flood the room as the tension grew and became too thick to breathe. What started as a rather harmless conversation had now turned into an echo of hate. Thankfully, Ezran was Ezran and he was special. 

"I understand. You are angry at the other elves for taking your son from you, but that wasn't Rayla's fault. You said it yourself that it was a thousand years since you've seen each other. Let go of your hate and embrace peace, we can get along, and together we can find your son." 

The young king offered his hand towards the ancient elf, and after some hesitation he shook it. Seerenos chose peace over vengeance. The moment only lasted for a short while, however. Almost immediately he turned around to face Aaron, to study him with a look of baffled wonder. He squinted to better see him while he circled the apparently human alchemist. In return, the currently human primal master was sweating bullets under his father's gaze. He almost prayed to the lost gods that he would notice the body was fake. 

"Who are you?" He finally asked, to which Aaravos only averted his eyes.

He was by far not ready to face his father. Not after the day he was banished. Aaravos could still remember the voices. His very own parents left him to face his punishment alone, a punishment that he did not deserve. It was delivered swiftly and with no fair trial. The dragon king just decided that he was to be erased from existence because he declared it so, and Avizandum's word was law. Aaravos saw his mother cry, but neither she not his father ever spoke a word in his defense. All he could feel for the man before him was pure vengeful hate. 

His mother on the other hand, he could only feel a gaping void in his heart when he thought of her. Aaravos was aware that she was gone, but he would never forget their last hug. He would never forget her eyes, so similar to Callum's. He still remembered those green eyes that were unable to ever say goodbye, but had to let go because they were forced to do so.

The betrayal of his parent's inaction left him bitter. He didn't need anyone anymore, no family and no friends. They would just betray him sooner rather than later anyway, or so Aaravos thought. One look at Callum made him reconsider. Even if his son wouldn't join him, Aaravos would make sure that he had a good life. No matter what happened, even if they ended up against each other on the battlefield, he would be a good father and make sure Callum would get a relatively happy end. Be it with him, or against him. Aaravos swore to do his best to be better than his own father.

* * *

Ibis watched the scene from outside. He couldn't hear what they were saying in the throne room, but he knew who Seerenos was, and he knew that he should immediately fly back to the storm spire, and yet something held him back. Like a tendril this tether held him in place. It made him watch the orchestra of bad emotions that swept through the throne room. Thankful to be spared from feeling these, Ibis sighed. 

It had been a honest shock to see Callum walk into the room, an elf just like him instead of the human he was supposed to be. It looked both wrong and strangely right for him to be this way. Wrong, because he was so different, right because it explained quite a few things. Ibis was used to seeing a human Callum. A halfling was a shock, but this blew the sky master's mind. It also brought clarity with it, as it explained the dragon queen's suspiciously sudden mission. There was only one thing left that plagued his mind.

_How can Callum be related to Aaravos? He was locked away centuries ago!_

While he wrecked his brain for some loose ideas, Ibis watched his apparently not so human student with interest. He cast a spell to hide his true nature and then hid from Seerenos. Be it instincts or something else, Callum seemed to know who, and what, he was. Now that the young mage looked human again, he felt like a fool. It didn't matter what he was, or where his blood came from. This was Callum, the step prince of Katolis and a hero of Xadia. He felt like he had betrayed a family member. Ibis swore he wouldn't make this mistake again, and he would protect Callum as best as he could, even if that meant to delay his report until he and Rayla were out of his reach. If the dragon queen sent him after them...

_Oh well, I always wondered if the air currents are different on the human side of the border. No one can fault me for taking my time to get used to a unfamiliar sky._

* * *

Far away, in a forest full of non magical creatures sat an old looking man. 

Viren was not doing good. He was growing desperation in his heart, mind an soul. The potion that kept him human was not working anymore. He could already feel it, the burn of the sun's rays. Viren felt the light eat seat at his skin as soon as he went outside during the day, but the night was completely different. The soft moonlight gave him power far beyond his former abilities. After sunset he felt as if he was reborn. The only drawback to this was the craving for more, but his will was strong enough to withstand it. Viren was no simple animal that would fall prey to its instincts.

When he laughed he revealed sharp teeth, ashen grey skin and eyes so dark that even the void would be scared to stare into them. This was him now, it was what he was damned to be. With his new and improved body he was rebuild, stronger, faster, and simply more than any other human. In a sense Aaravos had kept his word. 

Viren would elevate humanity to the pedestal above the elves that his kind deserved to be, and if he needed the life force of others to do this, then so be it.


	13. Hold Me Tight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyy I've gotten something very, very nice that I didn't include with the last chapter because it fits much better with this one. This chapter also has a sort-of surprise/unwilling co-creator. PerformapalWriter has helped me too much with my theories and plotting to not mention. :D

Claudia was in tears. After the strange elf had cornered her it had taken all of her strength to not reach out and rip his magic from him. Thankfully the guards heard her scream and rushed to help her, or rather save him. If they had not been there so soon then Claudia would have gotten new ingredients for her collection. 

She didn't stay much longer after that. Not only was her heart yearning for the sweet and inviting power that slumbered in elven blood. She also couldn't stand the sight of them in the castle. Elves did not belong in her home. They were infiltrators, and they sneered and laughed at her from their pedestal above her. They believe themselves to be so much better, the arrogance disgusted Claudia. With every bit of darkness in her heart screaming at her, Claudia needed to clear her head. She needed a friendly face, someone to hold her and make her world whole once more. With nobody else to rely on, Claudia took one of the horses and rode straight to her father. 

When she entered the cottage she knew he was hiding from the sun. It had become a habit as soon as the healing potion stopped working. With a sigh, Claudia entered the small basement underneath the house, letting the creaking ladder announce her arrival. Of course Viren heard her. His senses had sharpened as much as his looks have deteriorated, but Claudia didn't care. This was her father, her world. He was the only constant in her life and she knew he would be there for her, always. 

"Dad?" She called, and his deep dark eyes snapped towards her.

"Claudia? What is wrong? Are you alright, my little raven?" 

_You haven't called me that in forever! Does that mean you are you again...? Dad, I missed you so much._ She thought, only barely strong enough to reign in her tears.

This was the father she remembered. This was the parent she loved, and who loved her in return. He smelled like death and ashes, and he was terribly cold to the touch, but his voice was still warm and caring. May his claws and fangs be damned, she did not care. All that Claudia wanted was to hug her father, and hugging him she did. When his arms folded around her, and he held her tight, the world was whole again. The young dark mage wanted this moment to last forever.

* * *

A long distance away Amaya looked at the golden sunset that made Lux Aurea shimmer like burning embers. She liked the view, but more so did she love the person right next to her. It was one thing to admire the beauty of the world, but it was much better to share then with someone. Especially someone special. Janai was someone very special to the first human sunfire paladin. 

She had earned herself the unique title after they made their relationship official. Amaya's skill was tested when she and her group got attacked during a routine patrol. She used her shield to protect her team, earning herself said title and love of the sunfire elves. Soon, nobody even noticed her fifth finger or lack of horns anymore. 

She didn't need a sigh to tell her love that she was fire and flame for her. A simple kiss did the trick just fine. Janai's eyes became warm and a smile tugged at her lips. Then she lovingly bumped her first into Amaya's shoulder to show her affection. They may be sunfire queens, but they were still knights first and foremost, and it showed. The people of Lux Aurea loved them, and they loved the tranquil peace that had settled over the land ever since that fateful day yeas ago. 

Sure, every now and then a human or elf would start a fight because of old, deep-rooted hate, but the light purified everything. These disputes were settled safely in the arena, and especially hard cases usually ended with some fire involved, but they made it work. Peace was indeed possible. The ever watchful sun washed away hate and pain, while the wild flames fueled it. It was a gamble to play with fire, but fortunately both Janai and Amaya were used to the heat. 

**Why are you here? Not that I don't treasure our little moments.** Signed the deaf warrior.

"Your nephew sent us a letter. The two dove-birds want to visit us in two weeks. He also made some strange remark about his father." 

**King Harrow?**

"No. He explicitly said his birth father." Sighed Janai. 

Amaya was sent reeling from these news. She never expected to hear from the alchemist again that her dear sister fell in love with. She was actually sure that he died long ago, but sisterly care was more important than chasing him down. Now he was back, apparently, and Amaya wasn't sure what to feel. On one had she was angry and hurt that he left and didn't come back, but on the other hand she remembered their love. It was true and pure. Aaron wouldn't have abandoned them without a good reason. The human sunfire queen was just burning to find out what said reason was.

* * *

"Of course... I can not believe the old fossil's audacity!" Was hissed through the room. It echoed across the fair stone floor and the empty study.

Callum had never seen his father this worked up about something before. All he did was ask about his grandfather, and that sent Aaravos into a ranting frenzy. As it was, he was walking up and down in his study, much like the tides of the wild ocean. The stars on his cheeks glowed bright hot as his emotions became stronger than usual. Meanwhile, Callum huddled into himself in the chair beside his father's writing desk. They decided to have this conversation in the mirror, far from the many ears that the walls sprouted occasionally.

"And then he tells you half truths. Ha!" Barked the startouch elf while he was waving his arms around like he was a dancing cobra. Aaravos had a habit of using his hands, both casually and with a artistic temper. Callum knew he was just the same.

"Pot, this is kettle. Say hello." Mumbled Callum just loud enough for Aaravos to hear. 

In response he stilled, then deflated. "I'm... sorry. Your grandfather and I don't get along well. It was he who left me because I was not what he wished me to be." 

With his father now calm, Callum dared to come closer for a hug. 

"He is still trying to change me, still trying to mould me into something I am not. All for his own ego and image. He wanted a perfect noble son, and I am anything but." 

When Callum wanted to speak Aaravos held up his hand. The look on his face was clear, it was one Callum recognized well as he had seen it on Harrow's face many times now. 

"You can not let him know that we are related. I can not let him catch me. Grandparent or not, he is our enemy. Be careful." 

Callum nodded quickly, but inside his heart he tried to ignore the feeling of regret. He had really wanted to meet his father's family. After losing so many he was burning to find more of his relatives. However, Callum trusted his father on this. There was more to this story and until he knew what it was, he would play it safe. Then another idea sparked curiosity in his head.

"What did he mean by calling Katolis Elarion? The city's ruins are far away. No, actually they are across the boarder. You know, THE border?" 

Aaravos let out a rumbling but fond sigh of annoyance, "Elarion was huge. One could compare it to Lux Aurea in size and prestige. Now, old Regem may be huge as well, but he is just one wee dragon compared to a fortress. Some people survived his attack and they found a new place to call home."

_**"Here!?"** _

"Yes. Here." Aaravos stated, then chuckled at his son's antics, "I was the one who helped build it when it was nothing but a bunch of houses in the mud. Then something went... wrong. Something happened that I did not predict. It changed everything, and sentenced many innocents to death. Those I could save ended up here. Their leader, a woman that looks remarkably like the late king Harrow, led the survivors deep into the pentarchy to escape the sun dragon's attack. Katolis is indeed the leftovers of Elarion... one might say it is her child, in a metaphorical sense." 

"Wait. You mean Sol Regem burned down an entire city? Why? What about the innocent people living there, and, and what about those we didn't make it out in time?!" 

Aaravos stayed silent on purpose. He could explain the full story to his son, tell him what truly happened, but this was a moment that could turn his son towards his side. Callum didn't seem to like the dragons much, aside from the queen Zubeia and prince Azymondias. By being silent, Aaravos hoped to kindle the embers of hate towards Regem in his son's heart. In his opinion, the old blind dragon deserved it. Which is why he only turned his head to look away from Callum. 

Let him think it's grief. Which it was, maybe a little bit. 

"No way... No! No..." 

And when a small tear fell from Callum's eye Aaravos knew he had been successful.

"Dad? How long were you in that mirror before I found you? And why?" Callum asked with as much emotion as a rock, "you never told me."

The feeling of rain on his back was making Callum shudder again. After so long, and so many times he associated it with fate by now. It was a seventh sense to him, one that warned him whenever something big was going to happen. When he looked at his father's wide open and alarmed eyes he knew he just struck a nerve. Then the shock morphed into something else, and Aaravos looked like his son had ripped out his heart. Callum almost regretted asking. Almost.

"Avizandum, or Thunder as you might know him, wasn't happy with something I did. I was the one helping humanity when the others turned away, and for almost 700 years I got away with it. Then that storm beast took the crown and he sentenced me to be imprisoned in the mirror. I have been in there for almost 300 years now. Give or take." 

Whatever he had been expecting from his son, whether it be empathy or antipathy, it was certainly not a small humm. Then as light as a breeze and very casually Callum remarked, 

"Dad, you're old." 

And Aaravos could only sputter indignantly in offended shock. His own child of all possible beings would be his downfall one day. One way or another, he knew it. However, for now he still had time to forge good memories with his son, so he quickly pulled him in for a soft hug. It was something he never got from his father, so he would make sure to let Callum know his love was not an act. He almost reconsidered his revengeful plans when Callum hugged him back. Almost.

But he needed to act now. There was a certain pest that he had to eliminate, and Aaravos would do so with grace, efficiency and perfection. His _dearest father_ wouldn't know what hit him. He would not ruin his plans again, nor would he ever get the chance to take Callum from him. 

_I swear on the six sources, the world will change and nothing will stand in my way._

* * *

I usually don't do post-chapter notes buuut I've got something to show you here:

  
Now hush, hush! Check out this super cool person and nice artist! https://www.instagram.com/yellowbootsdesigns/


	14. Right In Your Arms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am... alive? It would seem so, yes. I might have been playing with trolls too much lately, but I am a man of my word. This story will be finished, sooner or later.
> 
> So..... let me warn you first, things are going to go wild soon. As in: this chapter. I've finally reached the part of the story where Aaravos is able to be his usual cunning asshole self. 
> 
> Also: happy thanksgiving to any of my US readers!!

Soren has seen much in his life. From bitter hate, to true love, he had seen it all. Some might call him a bit of a dimwit sometimes, but he was anything but dumb. What he lacked in book smarts, he had in his heart. Soren was street smart, which was exactly why he could see the truth when nobody else could. Callum's father absolutely hated their elven guest. 

_Why?_ Soren didn't know. He only recognized the simmering embers of hate in the man's eyes whenever the startouch elf passed by. He would duck his head and avoid eye contact, only to glare in secret. With Claudia gone on a trip to gather ingredients for a potion, Soren had time to watch how this played out. The blonde was curious about what Aaron was planning to do.

As it turned out, the man was a lot more dangerous than Soren had expected him to be. Aaron possessed a certain sharpness of the mind that terrified the young guard to the marrow of his bones. 

Aaron brew some sort of potion that looked like honey. Soren called it "the forbidden sweet" because despite it's delicious looking color, it was as cold as ice. To make it even worse the freezing honey look-alike had the consistency of jelly, and was oozing out something that looked as slimy as eel oil. This infernal mixture soon found itself poured into Seerenos's boots. 

Another incident that had Soren question Callum's father's alignment was the pond incident. Seerenos went to the little pond near the southern castle wall to meditate. Or, at least Soren thought he meditated. It wasn't like he knew the difference between enjoying nature, meditation, and sleeping. Whatever he was doing, the startouch did not expect to be swallowed by hot pink foam that shot up from the pond. It had startled the entire castle staff, but nobody could explain it. Nobody besides Soren, who had pocketed the empty little vial after Aaron dropped it.

The alchemist had a personal problem with their startouch guest. This was a vendetta, if Soren had ever seen one. So, he chose to confront Callum and ask him about why his father was trying so hard to ruin Seerenos's day. However, on his way to Callum's room he saw a flurry of raven feathers and bone white strands of hair hush around the corner, and into one of the old storage towers. Soren knew there wasn't anything in it aside from old furniture and holiday decorations. Or rather, there should not be anything aside from said old furniture and holiday decorations. 

"What are you up to, Claudia...? Please don't tell me you take after dad."

Soren had trained with moonshadow and sunfire warriors to reach his full potential. Although, he was still learning, he had improved quite a bit since the battle of the spire. Sneaking into the room to spy on his sister was far too easy. He crept behind a dusty crate full of fluffy wall decor for the great winter festival. It's glittering colors and obnoxious form were the perfect hiding place for him. Even his hair fit in, and his armor was nearly camouflaged to invisibility beneath the decorative ice crystals. He was invisible without having to use any magic.

"No. No way..."

What he saw next made his stomach twist into a tight knot. Before his best eyes, his world crumbled again, and as the acid feeling of being betrayed, lied to and used settled in, Soren felt numb. His dear sister did not change at all. Claudia, the reformed dark mage, was openly using dark magic inside the castle. Right underneath their noses. Her reversed chant echoed through the tower as she was sacrificing magical bugs to enchant some sort of bracelet, or cuff. 

Silently Soren snuck out of the room to get help to deal with his sister. What she was doing was illegal, and frowned upon. Even more so, she had lied to them all. Deceived them all with little to no remorse. If this had been a lie, then what else of the things she told them was false? It broke Soren's heart to think of the very real chance that his still dearly beloved little sister didn't care for him at all. At least not anymore. Cracking Seerenos's and Aaravos's mystery was now his secondary objective.

Blood was thinker then water, but only few still remembered the true meaning and origin of that saying. The blood spilled on the battlefield was a stronger bond than the water spilled when you're born. Soren didn't remember who told him that, but it stuck with him ever since. Now, it burned a hold in his heart.

* * *

Aaravos saw the young crown guard rush out of the tower as if hell's spawns were chasing him. The stern look and glossy gaze told the incognito archmage everything he needed to know. There was trouble brewing between the siblings now, and Claudia has been caught. 

He couldn't let that happen. If she were to be interrogated, then she did spill his own secret as well. It would be a major setback if his involvement in the attack of the spire was common knowledge, especially not if Callum found out. This just would not do. Aaravos had to tie up this loose end immediately, and without anyone catching him. Which is why he sent his father one last dirty look before he hushed into the storage tower to deal with Claudia, unseen of course.

Aaravos was efficient and elegant. He was swift and precise. Muttering a moon spell to confuse the poor girl was child's play to him. She was at his mercy, with her head so fogged up that she couldn't even stand straight up anymore. Slowly but steadily, the primal master worked his way through her memories to alter some of them. He painstakingly repainted each of them by hand, like an artist who recreated a scene on a canvas. With a steady chorus of moon and star magic the hand full of said memories changed. Instead of him, she now firmly believed that a sunfire elf had assisted her father. She forgot Aaravos completely, only remembering Aaron, who she had met in a forest near the border.

"Believe me, little witch, this is mercy. Besides, Callum would be sad if you were to vanish now."

Then he withdrew from her mind and turned himself invisible. His next stop was the center tower, or more precisely the king's balcony. Callum wasn't the only one in the family who could perform the mage wings spell, and Aaravos had to be somewhere. There was a certain virus he had to purge from this world and it's name was Viren. 

"You long outlived your use, pal. It is time I get rid of you once and for all. _Manus Pluma Volantus!"_

And with the words spoken Aaron grew wings, with feathers shimmering in a shining sterling silver. He swept through the sky, using the forest behind the castle as cover to stay unseen. Then, once he was far enough away he grinned and climbed into the sky. It was exciting to fly again. He could see why Callum adored his little love dove trips with dearest Rayla. 

* * *

Unfortunately for Aaravos, he wasn't the only elf in the sky that day. Ibis dove out of the way, and into a cloud as soon as his keen eyes spotted the other mage. He looked so much like Callum that Ibis almost confused them for each other, but the wing color showed Aaron's true nature. If they had not been proven before, then Ibis suspicions were proven now. Callum's father was the one and only Aaravos. 

Aaron was Aaravos, and with growing amazement Ibis finally figured out how every piece is this puzzle could fit together. It was terrifying to know how skilled the primal master was, and it was an achievement to create a living golem so life-like that it could be used as secondary body. It was unbelievable that his second self was so perfect that he could have a son. Everything about this whole thing both astounded and terrified Ibis to his very core.

"So, if your soul is here, at least partially, where is your real body?" He mumbled to himself. 

Ibis knew about the magic mirror, of course, as it had been his duty to guard it every now and then. However, he still had to figure out how Aaravos managed to connect with the outside world again. The mirror was supposed to contain him for all of eternity, and cut him off from this plane of existence. Avizandum made it very clear that the sickness he carried had to be contained before it spread. 

Now, the sky master questioned himself, how can something escape from an airtight container? He didn't want to, but this was a serious matter. He needed to report this to queen Zubeia as soon as possible. Which meant they Ibis dove back down into the castle to say goodbye. He would leave on this day.

* * *

Callum and Rayla were enjoying their quiet moment alone. She had gotten used to his elvish looks by now, and she was even teasing him about it. The horns especially were her favorite thing to pick on. As curved and sharp as they were, their chitin like surface was pleasant to touch, just unfamiliar. Rayla was used to her own horns and their bark like texture. Thankfully Callum was dense and trusting enough to let her get away with grabbing them every now and then.

Callum himself was sparkling and shimmering like a pearl. His smiled with a warm glow in his eyes, and an even warmer aura around him. Callum's love was pure, she thought. As pure as clear water in the summer. Before, Rayla had never been interested in those sappy stories. Her peers always rambled on and on about how love was supposed to be. She had to kiss him, she had to cuddle, and oh by the full moon Rayla was scared of it all. They always made it sound like a script to follow, put your hand on his bicep, smile, giggle and then kiss with your tongue. It made her groan with second hand embarrassment.

Thankfully, her love with Callum was completely different. They could just hang out without being steamy every second of the day, and there were so many more ways to say "I love you" than a wet kiss. Not that they didn't have those every now and then. A sly smile crept on her face as she remembered last year's equinox festival. 

"Callum? Callum! Hey!" 

He was frozen mid-wave as she had apparently interrupted one of his ramblings. 

"Oh, uh sorry. I got a bit too much into it. Yeah?"

Fondness. That's the bud that sparked their relationship, and trust let it grow. 

"I love you, dorky mage." 

They put their foreheads together, just shy of touching noses, and smiled. 

"Now, what did I interrupt? And please, in a language that I can understand." She teased, making him huff out a pout.

"I've been trying to mix up primal sources and I found something. See, the six sources are not just connected, they are a web. Like, like a spider's web! Spells are linked." He excitedly told her.

"Here," he created a small cube of ice with Aspiro Frigis, "it's a sky spell, but it affects water. Sky can manipulate ocean. But, ocean can not manipulate sky in the same way. Instead, check this out!"

Callum meshed up two runes, one of sky and one of ocean magic. Rayla wasn't even surprised anymore. He was eating through books faster than a twilight dust moth. She recognized the sky rune as "Tempus" but when Callum finished it, he didn't stop drawing. Instead he just kept going, letting it blend into ocean magic by a thin string. 

_"Volo Cascadum"_

And with that, Rayla's most favorite person in the world had created a miniature hurricane in their bedroom, and it was tamed enough to follow his commands. The domesticated storm could even do a "roll over" for him. 

"There is something else however. You see, whenever I go from one rune to another, it's like I'm in a corridor. Out of one door, and into another. But... The jump between both of those feels strange. It's like... like the magic in there hasn't decided what to be yet. It's blank like one of my sketchbook pages."

Rayla nodded, not quite understanding, but also getting the important parts. She had a feeling that Callum's was on the verge of a breakthrough, and she wanted to be supportive in every way she could.

"So... You just discovered light magic, eh?" 

It was meant as a joke, but the way his eyes suddenly widened told Rayla that they had sent yet another ripple through the world. 

"I... I think I did?"

* * *

And now some more post-credit scene art made by your's truly. I proudly present to you: Aaravos when he was 10

Cute, isn't he? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Light magic? Hell yea! I'm predictable and uncreative, but whatever. I like it :D
> 
> Now to the spells:  
> -Volo Cascadum is again homebrew latin. Translated it means something along the lines of "Speed Cascade" Imagine a cascading waterfall on 10x speed


	15. Until We Wake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow this evolved into something... else. I lost some of my original notes, but that may not be a bad thing. Actually, I think it's good because the direction this story goes now seems much more interesting.  
> This chapter is named "until we wake" and spoiler aleart: the next one is "we will see the stars" and involves the whole main crew. Soren included because he's my battle bro.

_Light._

Light was everything, yet nothing. It was a mix of all the colors of the world, and they sang in unity. However it was also pure, a blank canvas that held nothing but emptiness. In such bright light, no shadows could exist, and it was powerful. Callum thought that even malestorm didn't do it justice, and this chorus of pure raw magic danced to a tune as old as time itself.

And now Callum knew it's lyrics. 

If Rayla's moon magic was a dance, Janai's sun magic a heartbeat, Ibis's sky magic his breath, and his father's star magic the world's consciousness - then light magic was life. It felt like a living being. Now, it wasn't sentient or aware of anything, but Callum could definitely feel it react to him. It was definitely alive.

Where primal magic was filtered by one of the six sources, light magic was not. It was wild, and untouched by anything. Just like sunlight that had yet to hit a surface to be filtered, light magic was still pure. Callum could see how it bled into the world around them. It went into things, or through them. The way it reached it's destination didn't matter much, all that did matter was how it lost parts of itself as soon as it touched something, only to merge with the elements to become something new. It was the source of the six sources.

Rayla was already tapping his forehead in annoyance. She didn't like being ignored, but in Callum's defense this was huge. He deserved to think about his new world breaking discovery for a while.

"Alright, Callum. Let's see... you us'd magic tha wasn' primal magic yet, but would one day be?"

"Yep."

"And it didn' kill or corrupt ya?" 

"Correct." 

"We have to tell this someone! Maybe your pa, or Ibis. Callum, this is amazing!" She laughed, "you're amazing." 

Callum blushed in return. His face heated up like a sunfire ruby as she praised him, and he relished in these warm and cozy happy feelings. 

"What if dad already knows? I mean, you have seen him, the real him. You know what he can do, so what if -!" 

"No. If anyone had found out that light magic exists we'd have heard of it bey now." 

As Callum wanted to reply, a sudden shadow appeared in the door. It was a presence so unlike everything that the young mage had ever felt. It was old, ancient even, and smoothly wrapping itself around his senses like the finest silk. Without knocking, Seerenos entered the couple's room and approached Callum, while he completely ignored Rayla. 

"Young one, come. Walk with me, we have important things to discuss." 

That made Callum's stress levels rise and his anxiety spike. Suddenly the warm and cozy feelings were gone, replaced by a too hot wave of uncertainty. However, after a hand squeeze from Rayla he obliged, and followed the old startouch out of the castle. Callum knew he went against his father's explicitly stated order to not associate with his grandfather, but he was curious. Callum wanted to know more about the elf who raised his father, and by proxy learn more about his family's history. Aaravos alone was over five thousand years old, his grandpa was even older. The so very young mage couldn't even imagine how many stories they had to tell. Seerenos was not easily talked to, but neither were Aaravos or Callum himself. They each had their quirks and strengths, one simply had to know how to deal with them.

"I apologize for the sudden surprise, Callum. It was not my intent to disrupt your day." Seerenos started slowly and calmly, "however, I needed to speak with you about something personal. Your father to be precise." 

Callum visibly flinched when the words registered in his head. For a short moment he thought their game of hide and seek was over, but then he relaxed again. If Seerenos knew about their relationship then he would have called him by his proper title, grandson. His father told him how irrationally proper the family patriarch was on a good day. 

"It has come to my attention that your father dislikes my kind, or maybe only me, for some reason. I had hoped you would know his reason for this childish tantrum?"

Oh, Callum knew what was going on, but he had no intention of getting his grandfather why his father was on a warpath. Instead, he played as dumb as he could. Startouch rarely lied, if ever, but unlike sunfire they couldn't tell the truth apart from the lies. Seerenos was no exception to this. His grandfather was suspiciously quiet and distrustful the whole time they were walking together, but Callum was adamantly sticking to his story. He kept playing dumb and would keep doing so until Seerenos believed him. 

* * *

Aaravos, as Aaron, landed in front of the old cottage with a perfectly executed slide. It was truly starting to get colder every day, however it made said cottage look even more cozy as it was. 

Even in his human body he still had his grace. This would be the slight advantage that would save his head, because when Aaron stepped inside the brittle house he only narrowly escaped claws that came out of nowhere. 

"You came back." 

"Viren. My, you don't look good. Have you tried fresh air? Maybe a bit sunlight? You know people need vitamin D to stay healthy and sane." The taunt flew past his lips with ease, even though Aaravos had to admit that he was beginning to worry. Viren looked strange, and something was off about the whole situation. There was a dark and draining aura in the room that seemed to suck out the primal master's life force. 

Something was terribly, unspeakably wrong. Viren was wrong, his entire demeanor, his attitude, and the way he sounded when he spoke. All of it was so completely different from what Aaravos expected to find. He truly saw himself fighting against a withering prune of an once proud man. A desperate prune, but still a prune. Yet, the weak husk was anything but weak. This was supported by yet another narrowly dodged strike. 

One of the claws eventually scratched him, and it burned. Aaravos felt the hairline crack of a cut burn like an entire blizzard fought a firestorm in his veins. He went down on his knees with a loud gasp, but his pride didn't allow him to be defeated. Viren was much, but he would never be Aaravos's equal. No matter how many surprises he pulled out of his tattered and half rotten sleeve, Aaravos would triumph over Viren. Or so he kept telling himself. 

In the end, a desperate and unfocused wave of sun magic that was meant to blind Viren saved the elf in human skin. Aaravos didn't waste any more time to think, he knew when a fight was over. This sudden new development needed to be studied first, and analyzed to perfection. He would make Viren pay for this. Oncehe knew how to beat him that was. Going in blind was a foolish thing to do and the embodyment of elegance and efficiency was simply too proud to even consider the idea.

Once he was safely hidden with moon magic and in a tree, Aaravos looked down at what Viren has become. The pale monster with sickly cracks all over his face. His veins bulging like worms underneath paper thin skin, he looked more like a bag of maggots than a living creature. By the smell of it, Aaravos was starting to doubt the "living" part. He wasn't sure what the former dark mage had turned into, but he knew he needed to take him out before he could hurt Callum or threaten his plans. 

"What are you...?" He murmured to himself, shuddering when Viren's head turned into his direction as if he had heard him. A feat impossible to accomplish, not with how far they were from each other.

_I have to go. Maybe my dearest father can be of some use to me afterall._

Aaravos was scheming again. A plan slowly formed in his mind as he summoned his own mage wings once more to fly home. After this horrific encounter he needed to make sure Callum was alright. He was only making sure his legacy would survive, he wasn't getting sentimental. Of course he wasn't forming a honest bond with the boy that he would ultimately betray, and who he was actively working against. Aaravos could not lie verbally, but in his thoughts he liked to lie to himself.

* * *

It was beginning to get dark outside. Seerenos didn't look like he wanted to end their walk, but Callum needed to do his daily chores and help Ezran with the preparations for the winter festival. They invited many elves that year, to strengthen the bonds of peace with Xadia. Callum was needed to actually write the invitations, his memory being the key to get elven names and their spelling right. He was just about to bid Seerenos goodbye for the day when a very young moonshadow elf approached him. 

"Master Callum! Lujanne sent me, or rather told me about you. I need help with one of my spells and I had hoped you could...?" He trailed off.

Callum studied the young moon mage. He didn't remember the boy at all, but he recognized the crest of the Sterling shire. It was a village just a few days north of the Silvergrove. Elves from that area were friendly towards humans. The stories of the brave last dragonguard, Rayla, and her human mage lover had spread faster than frost in moonshine. They were local legends already. This, was absolutely no bad surprise. Callum loved it.

"You hoped I could help you with it. Sure. Why not? What are you trying to do?" 

Callum, in his ever so dorky excitement completely missed the look on Seerenos's face. 

"I had hoped to create a spell to visualize diseases so that they can be diagnosed and treated more easily. I'm a medic, and I had hoped to finally let moon magic be useful in my field of work." 

"I'm following so far. Continue, please." 

"Well... It's only working after the diagnose, which means my spell is useless. Verum animo are the trigger words. Please, master Callum, you are my last hope to make this work."

After a while of heavy intense thinking, Callum finally had an idea. 

"Try luceat verum sui. Like the sunfire spell radios verum sui. It should work the same way, but draw power from the moon instead of the sun." 

Callum drew a rune into the air that resembled a lone koi fish swimming around a full moon. Said fish had exactly two side fins, symbolized by short dots made with his thumb. He held the rune for a bit so that the moon mage could write it down and then let it fade. After he told his father about his first disastrous time trying fulminis the midnight star insisted on teaching him how to cancel a spell. Callum agreed that it was a good idea, after he got the hair ruffling lecture of the century from his dad.

"I didn't catch your name..?"

"Ley. It's an honor to meet you, master Callum." He bowed courtly with his hands pressed together. 

Then he left. Ley hurried away with a excited energy in his stride. However, with him the nice atmosphere also left, and a certain feeling of dread swept over to him. Callum had always been curious and sensitive to the world around him. The feeling of ghostly rain on his back was something very familiar, and something he learned to read recently. Apparently it was a startouch thing, and right then and there is told him to turn around and face Seerenos.

True to his feeling, the old elf did look like someone had shoved a nest of bees into his mouth. He was rigid, and clenching his fists tightly enough to make his knuckles turn bright blue. Then he sighed.

"I am calm. Unus... duo... tribus... quattuor. I am calm." He muttered dramatically, but with real agitation in his tone. Then he smiled the most forced smile in history.

"Uh... Are you okay?" 

Seerenos completely ignored Callum's question, and personal space. Opting for a surprise kidnapping instead, the star mage grabbed Callum's arm and started to drag him away.

"Hey! Let go! What's your problem?!"

"My issue is _you,_ dear boy." He said in a hollow and eerily calm tone, "your games are over. We are returning home, **now."**

Callum struggled to break free from the elf's grasp, but Seerenos was stronger than he looked. In the end he tried to yell out and shout for help, until Seerenos took away his voice with a simple wave of his hand.

"Quit this, Aaravos. Your time playing human is over, even though I am impressed that you managed to turn yourself into one. Then again, you always loved them... Do you know how much damage you have done to our name? No. You will be going home and you will start working in the temple where you belong." 

Thankfully two very bright eyes had witnessed everything from a nearby vent. The jelly tart was quickly forgotten as the little spy raced to find Rayla and Soren. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The spells:  
> "luceat verum sui" is homebrew latin for "shine your true self" the sun version "radios verum sui" means the same, but radios is much brighter.
> 
> Also, if anyone's been wondering what Seerenos has been muttering, it's no spell. He just over-dramatically counted to 4 to center himself. It's something my own mother does and it infuriates me lol


	16. We will See The Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE Soren. If I were gay I'd be gay for the boy.  
> Speaking of boys, I'm happy to have them all group together for the soon-to-happen halftime battle.

Ezran knew he would get into trouble with Opeli as soon as she found out just what the little king had done. Thankfully they would be far away then, out of her reach. The kingdom was important, but Callum was his brother, and as such he was his top priority. Family came first. The small king regretted nothing, except maybe not taking enough snacks with him.

* * *

When Callum opened his eyes he was curled up on a huge bed with dark plum colored silk sheets. A canopy that glittered like a thousand stars on the night sky framed it, making the white wood of the bedframe stick out even more. It was soft and cool to the touch, but not cold. Callum wasn't freezing. He suspected that magic was being used in the room. 

He climbed out of the bed and stepped onto a stone floor that might as well have been a mirror. In it, he could see his birthmarks shine bright despite his father's spell. Thankfully the rest of him was still human looking. He assumed it was because he was close to the star primal, if only he knew exactly where that was... Callum would be a very happy mage indeed. Alas, with no red X on a map to show him his exact location he was still hopelessly lost.

A knock on the door made him jump and yelp in surprise. It echoed enough to make all of his hairs stand up. 

"Master Seerenos wishes to see you, master Aaravos. Please freshen up. Your father expects you in the library in two candle marks." 

The servant was a young earthblood girl, not much younger than Callum himself. She was polite and respectful, while she also kept her bubbly nature. However she did not look like she wanted to talk to him, much less answer his questions. In reply Callum just nodded, but he was starting to get irritated. There was a resemblance to his father, he was aware of it, but he was not his old man. If the size difference alone was not an obvious clue, then Callum didn't know what was. 

With a huff he went to the bathroom area of the tower he found himself in. The earthblood left him, thankfully. Prince or not, a Callum didn't like to be washed by another. When he exited the bath he knew the clothes on the bed were his father's, but Callum had no other alternative except his dirty ones. Thankfully these robes were a bit less revealing than what his father was usually wearing. He was surprised that Aaravos "the fashionista" even owned a normal shirt.

The feeling of rain on his back was back with the vengeance of an hurricane. It drove him nuts, and to ease the constant pressure on his mind, body and soul he let it guide him. What Callum didn't expect was to end up in front of a broom closet a few doors to the left of his father's childhood room. Reaching out for the ornate door handle, he was just about to open it when his friends and family fell out like a bunch of leaping fish. 

"Ezran? Bait? Soren!? What are you... Rayla!" Callum almost cried in happiness when he saw them, "what are you guys doing here? And how did you find me?

"How? That's easy, Ezran saw the old stick in the mud grab you. I had to explain to Soren what's going on to get him to help us... I hope you can forgive me."

"Always, Rayla. You did what you had to do. I'm not mad." Reassured Callum, but it was obvious that he was too curious about their story to think about what she had done.

"We snuck out, followed Seerenos to the king's balcony, and then rushed after him into a big white rift. Thankfully Bait helped cover us with a flash."

"After we hitched a ride on your grandpop's magic transportation spell, we avoided his guards until we could find you." continued Soren, "Now, come on let's get out of here!"

"Yes. Bait says we need to hurry before we're seen. Callum, let's go!"

But Callum had other plans, "guys, I can't. I'm so sorry, but I can't go with you right now. I need to set grandpa straight once and for all. I'm not my father. Besides something happened between them and I need to know what... I have a feeling that my father is keeping things from me, maybe grandpa can tell me more."

Rayla puffed out her chest and gave him a hard but fond look, "then we'll stay too. We do this together."

"Yes!" 

"Aw yeah!"

Callum did his best to hug all of them at the same time. Bait turned a lovely tender shade of suffocating purple, while Ezran ended up being squished between Rayla and Soren. In the end the group parted with no suffocation losses, but more loving warmth in their hearts than before. They were a team, friends and a family. Their bonds were stronger than any blood ties could ever hope to be.

"Let's go. The old man is waiting for me. Shall we meet my dearest lord grandfather?" 

Both Rayla and Ezran laughed at Callum's overly dramatic acting, while Soren cracked his knuckles with a smug grin. They were ready. Each of them would make sure that they would return home together, no matter what. 

"So... Does anyone know where Seerenos is right now...?" 

Everyone shot Soren a look which made him shrug, "what? I'm just asking because I have no idea where to even start looking."

"Callum's half star elf. He should know where to go!"

"Uh?!" Said half-elf groaned, "hey this is the first time I'm here too. I've got no idea either!"

"Oh yust greeat! Nah we're 'ere an nobady knows where ta go. Wonderful...!" 

Suddenly the majestic home didn't seem so wonderful anymore. With just that thought of being lost it became a very pretty golden cage, a prison or a maze with no exit. The feelings of being held in there with no way out were suffocating, but also rekindled the flames of determination in their hearts.

* * *

When Aaravos returned to Katolis castle he did not expect to fall into complete chaos. He was still tired and hurt from his encounter with Viren, so the last thing he wanted to do was deal with lady Opeli. He didn't even know what she needed him for. Or rather, what she needed human alchemist Aaron for. If the woman knew that she was dragging an millennia old elven archmage through the castle she would most likely scream, and then continue. 

Opeli was a caring woman. She had her heart full of kindness and goodwill, yearning for perfection and peace. Aaravos liked her for that. It reminded him of how a young Elarion had dreamed of a better world once, so long ago. However, that was where the similarities between them ended. Unlike the curiously and infuriatingly mischievous Elarion, Opeli was lawful good, and annoyingly strict. Aaravos thanked the stars that human ears were round and small. It made it much harder for her to grab them properly.

"May I ask what has happened to cause you do much grief, lady Opeli?" He finally asked with a slight hiss of pain in his voice. 

"Your son got kidnapped by the startouch, our king followed them to get his brother back, and to top it all off there is a group of dark mages protesting before our doorstep!" She ranted to him, apparently too stressed to care who heard what. 

However, Aaravos was too distracted by something she said to tease her about it. "Callum was taken!? When? Where? Please, tell me!" 

"Seerenos took him after Callum helped a moon mage. The rest of the children have secretly followed him." Opeli sighed harshly, "I don't know what to do anymore. The princes just do what they want no matter the consequences!"

"I'll bring them back." 

Opeli's eyes flew towards Aaron's golden ones. The expression on the man's face was more than murderous, and darker than the skies of a stormy night. Without another chance to speak he rushed off to his room to grab some things for the travel, then he was gone in under an hour. Opeli didn't even know what had happened so suddenly, but she remembered how Harrow was, how much he loved his son and stepson. Aaron was similar to their late king, but the council woman and royal advisor couldn't shake off the feeling that he was much more dangerous than he wanted people to know. 

If her years working with Viren had taught her anything, then it was that people so perfect usually held dark secrets within their hearts.

* * *

The first thing that he saw was moonlight. 

He greedily took in the crisp air. It was biting his nose and made his lungs burn, but it gave him back his life. Clear icy dew filled him with strength from within, while the pale moonlight have him power. It was no full moon, but in his condition he would not be picky. After purgatory spat him out, there was nothing he wanted more than to enjoy the light of the moon on his still bruised skin, which meant all of it. He found himself completely naked.   
Thankfully out in the wilderness of the human kingdoms nobody cared about his current lack of clothing. The next settlement was a while away, he could still hear it from where he woke up, but thankfully they were far enough away to give him some air to breathe.

He was in what looked like a meadow. Dragonflies and moths circled a small pond to his left, that was framed by tall grass and some half swimming shrubs. He wasn't sure what they were called, but they were definitely not Xadian. The water lilies that danced on the clear water looked familiar however, he just couldn't place them. The way the formed a circle of blossoms, drifting around and around with nobody disturbing them, made his eyes fill with tears. He was so terribly homesick. 

Then he remembered. There was one thing he wanted more then anything else, and it was related to the moon, but so much more precious to him. His husband. His most beloved. His heart. How could he forget his promise?

Stealing some ill fitting clothes was not hard. The humans kept them in baskets for everyone to just grab, and he was in need. It wasn't like anyone would be missing the rough wool shirt, the leather boots and the cream colored linen pants. He could craft himself a new weapon later. For now, he needed to find shelter and a hiding spot from the humans of this small village. 

The sound of music drifted around like a veil of good things, smelling like moonberry wine and fresh sweedling bread. He was so caught up in the moment that he completely missed the human who grabbed his arm to drag him towards a nearby tavern. Two steps later a sunfire elf joined them, kissed the human and then winked at him.

"What's with the long face, Moonshine? Enjoy the party!" She cheered, while her human lover was smiling at him kindly. 

"What...?" He managed to rasp out with great difficulty.

"It's the fifth anniversary of the end of the war! How could you forget about this?" 

The look on his face made the two girls look at him like he had two heads. Then he ran away from this madness, away from this strange new world. If he had to walk, so be it, but he wanted to go home. Home, where things were normal, where he didn't need to worry, where there were no humans and where his heart was waiting for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's do a quick recap shall we?  
> \- Aaravos is pissed  
> \- Opeli needs a vacation  
> \- Callum is gonna face his grandpa  
> \- Ezran is awesome  
> \- Soren's my battle bro  
> \- Someone got un-coined. Yay


	17. After Our Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready for team dorks vs Seerenos part 1? Then let's get this going!   
> I also have a surprise at the end for you again :D

Rayla bravely led the hodgepodge group through endless starlit hallways. Everywhere she looked there was marble, silverwood and the night sky. It was starting to annoy her to the point her ears were twitching.

Right behind her was Callum, who cast a small star spell to light up the area they were exploring without alerting the guards. The hive mind of astral warriors, soulless armored knights that only followed their master's orders, were starting to get nervous. If something with no emotions could be nervous that was. They stomped around on heavy metal soles, very much like clockwork. Fortunately their patterns were easily recognized and avoided, but they seemed to double in numbers with every passing hour. 

After Callum came Ezran. He quietly as a mouse asked the bugs, arachnids and birds if they knew the way. So far none did. Seerenos was no fan of critters and thus all of the insects stayed far away from him. Still, Ezran refused to give up. However, he did hear some juicy gossip about Aaravos when he was younger from a very old Xadian woodlouse. Apparently he ran away from home without even saying goodbye. 

Lastly were Soren and Bait. It was a strategic move to have him carry the grumpy toad in case they needed an emergency flash. If so, the rest of the group was facing away from them already. Furthermore the crown guard could protect them all from his position at the back. He trusted Rayla to hold the front line. Squished between them both, the princes couldn't be safer.

They just turned around a corner when a shadow fell over them from an nearby open window. There eclipsed by the pale moonlight stood Aaravos, as Aaron, with his hands on his hips and furious golden eyes. His lips were a thin line between a cocky smirk and a worried frown. 

"Found you." He simply said. 

"Dad!" Callum jumped past Rayla to hug his father, very much glad to see him again. 

"Alright everybody, we're going home. Now." 

"No." At Callum's refusal, Aaravos raised a brow. "Dad, I know you don't want me to talk to grandpa, but I also know that you keep things from me. We all have some big feelings that we need to talk about and I'm not going home until I know the truth." 

Suddenly Aaravos's face became blank. It was as if all emotion had drained from his face and Callum didn't like it one bit. Something in his father's eyes lit up, only to break apart into a thousand little pieces.

"The truth can taste bitter. People long to know it, but once they see the unbroken ugly truth, they turn away. Ignorance is bliss." The father spoke, much too calm and much too soft. He tried to get his son to stop asking.

But Callum's determination was stronger, "either you tell me, or I'll ask grandpa. Just be honest and open with me. What's the worst that could happen?" 

"I could lose you." 

Callum didn't expect that. He also didn't expect to see a tear of all things roll down the emotionless mask that had become his father's face. Then the dam broke. Callum, son of sweet Sarai had broken the legendary archmage.

"You wish to hear the truth, precious child of mine? I'm bitter. I wish nothing more than to destroy this broken world full of arrogance and prejudice. My kind has been stagnant for over four thousand years now, and when the world changes, when it brings forth new wonders they stomp them into the ground. I was the one assisting Viren during his attack on the storm spire. I was the one who killed the sunfire queen, and then took their sacred staff." Never once did he raise his voice, until now, "but then you came into my life! You... are something else. I wanted to use you, to play with you like I did with Viren, but you worked your way into my cold cracked heart! And now? Now I want nothing more than to see you safe and happy." 

At the end of that rant the father was crying, while the son could only gasp in shock as if Thunder had struck him where he stood. The rest of the group didn't look much better either. Especially Soren was tense and ready to attack.

**_"Go._** You have your answers. I doubt you wish to speak with me again after this, so let me give you one last thing: your freedom. My father denied me to chose my own path. Go, return home and move on. I... I will not hold you back, my little star." 

Aaravos turned around and vanished into one of the many dark hallways, leaving the group confused and unsure. Through each of them raced a tornado of emotions, and it was very obvious they needed to talk about what they had heard.

* * *

Downstairs a door opened.

_Step._

_Step._

_Right._

_Stop._

Aaravos stood proudly in the golden light that came from a large fireplace. He saw his human face look back at him from the polished stone. For the first time since he gained this body he saw his own markings shine brightly where they belonged. Six stars, one for each source he commanded. Unlike other elves, the startouch did not chose their markings. They were gifted to them by their parents and lit up by the stars themselves, or in his case all six primals. Callum being so similar to him that his own father mistook them for each other was almost hilarious enough to make Aaravos feel hysterically amused, if only it wasn't so sad. 

His shadow danced across the room and caught the attention of his father. Silently, Aaravos wished he could have a few more minutes to prepare himself. Every time he faced his old man would inevitably end in a complete disaster. His mother used to keep them both in check, but she was gone. Gone, like every other good thing in his life. Everything he ever loved was either taken from him, or left him, _and it hurt._ It hurt just as much as the constant jabs and mockery he had to endure. His father and his peers were close minded people. They were locked up in their own space for so long, they forgot there was a world below their precious stars. It made Aaravos blood boil to even think about what Seerenos would have forced Callum to sacrifice just for the sake of _tradition._

"I see you chose a more fitting form. Finally you do as you are told. It only took you a few centuries." Seerenos started casually, just like one would if they were talking about the weather.

Then he turned around in his elegant armchair. His white hair unwound from the white wood, and his robes parted from the matching dark pillows. Seerenos was the prime example of dignity and serenity, that was until one looked into his eyes. As windows to the soul they showed only annoyance and a deeply rooted grudge. 

"Dear starshine, have you finally grown out of your rebellious phase? I dare not to hope for this miracle. Aaravos, you know I love you. I love you so very much, and I want only the best for you."

"You don't care about what I want." The younger shot back with enough venom in his voice to kill a cobra.

"What you want is going to destroy you. My child, look at you and what your freedom has done to you! Your mother's heart couldn't take watching you fall. She-" 

"Do not bring my mother into this! She at least supported me, unlike you! Gravitas Terebra!" 

With a hellish fury cold enough to crack his human body Aaravos struck. He drew rune after rune, Ignitas, Terminus, Aspiro, Somnea, Argentos Ventris... never once did he care for the fire in his borrowed veins. The magic was overloading his fake form, but he didn't care. He fired spell after spell at his father, who blocked them all. In his human form Aaravos was weaker. He needed to channel a roughly estimated third of his powers into maintaining the body. Then, to add injury, his blood was still on fire from Viren's cursed claws. Aaravos was in no shape to fight anymore, but he didn't intent to win. He wanted to distract. By doing so Callum and his merry band of naive fools had enough time to escape the startouch mansion. His son was going to be be a wonder that elven kind would not stuff out.

But first, he had to deal with Seerenos. The archmage of the stars and teller of fate. The weaver of days to come, and father of the brightest star. He was the prime example of what a startouch elf should be, a truly otherworldly creature.

"You want me to be something I am not! I will not waste my life in a temple doing the same thing every day and expect a different result. That is the definition of insanity, don't you know? Oh, no wait. You are too busy looking at the ancient pattern up there to notice what's going on around you."

"And you don't see what your poor choices did to you."

"You do not see what you did to me!" 

Both Aaravos and Seerenos stopped after it became obvious that neither would win the fight.

"For a seer you are blind, father. Blinded by your own arrogance, and traditionalist pride. How... Delicious. You can't even see that you were tricked."

"Enough! Let's get rid of this ugly human shell you put yourself into. Shall we?"

Seerenos lifted his index and middle finger while his other hand drew a rune in front of it. Once "saggittos astra" was properly cast, Aaravos prepared himself for certain doom. He resigned himself to the death of his human body, and a fate inside the mirror. After today, Callum would not ever look at him again and Viren was a disfigured creature who wanted him dead. This was Elarion all over again, his wishes and dreams crumbling in his hands. Running through his fingers like sand in an hourglass, they were broken. He was broken.

**_"Aspiro Frigis!"_ **

At first Aaravos did not even register the cage of ice that had formed around Seerenos. He only felt it when it bit into his skin, making his fingers itchy and red. Then he felt the warmth of two arms around his neck, coming from behind and holding him with intention and love. Love is magic. Sarai's words came back to him from within a fractured memory. Love makes blind, he had replied, but she had managed to prove him wrong. 

"Callum...?" He rasped. The great Aaravos, who is elegance and perfection incarnate, couldn't understand what was going on.

"We're family. Family sticks together." His son replied, "I forgive you, but no more secrets. Okay?" 

Numbly and oh so carefully he rubbed over Callum's cheeks. Stars ablaze, he watched them shimmer as if he had never seen those before. Callum put his face against his chest and just held on with everything he had. Who was he to deny his son this hug? Love is magic, and love healed his lonely heart. Or at least it was slowly piecing him back together. 

Seerenos however looked like he had aged two millennia at once. He was pale as a ghost, with a quivering lip that was turning even more blue from the cold. As he was trapped, he could only watch with pure numbing surprise how Callum sat beside Aaravos. The child he had taken was no son, but a grandson, and it filled him with fury to know that the boy would follow into his father's footsteps. A child of the stars, of his blood none the less, and the boy had not even been to the genesis springs yet. Seerenos was baffled by what he saw as his son's neglectful parenting.

Said son didn't know how long they stayed like this, but when father and son looked up Callum's friends had formed a protective circle around them. Seerenos was free once more, albeit a bit wet and still freezing. However, the ice did not cool his anger, instead he was glaring even more. 

"You... bear his marks, and you have my wife's eyes. Child, don't listen to your father. Listen to me, and don't let him corrupt you!" The ancient elf pleaded, his eyes on Callum now, "I can give you a better life here near the temples. Don't throw your chance away now, dear boy." 

Callum felt his head spin. He kept looking from his grandfather to his father, a million and one thoughts in his head. Have a good life away from everything, or be free and live with the consequences. He could stay with his grandfather, but that wouldn't make the problems disappear. He just didn't have to see them anymore. That just felt wrong. Looking away felt wrong.

"My star, follow my lead and we will be able to escape from here, together." 

Callum mirrored the soft smile of his father, then nodded and prepared himself for his strongest spell to this day. 

_"Arcanea."_ They raised their hands. Magic started to swirl around them.

_"Loco."_ Aaravos dropped into a low bow, with his left foot moving backwards. His left hand drew a s-curve. Callum mirrored him, only that the magic followed his movements.

_"Altera."_ The duo spoke as one, the summoned star magic made the air feel thin. Their right hands drew a wavy line, followed by two dots.

_"Salito."_ And a bright flash was their reward. Callum successfully cast his first teleportation spell. 

The six of them felt like they were falling. Suddenly the marble floor was gone and only the vacuum of the void was around them. Then it was over. First the air returned, they felt it whoosh past them, Rayla and Aaravos the most of them all. Then came the sun, weak as it was sunrise already. The third feeling was the moon who was accompanied by a tiny dew droplets of morning dew. The earth was much more sudden in it's return, their collision hurt to put it mildly. Lastly came the stars, who seemed to wink at the group from above. 

They had made it out safe and sound. The happy squeaking of adoraburrs was the most wonderful feeling that the six of them had felt in a while. Ezran immediately dove into the tall grass to greet his little friends, while Rayla checked on Callum. Soren hugged the stuffing out of a very annoyed glow toad, and it made Aaravos laugh. 

_To hell with it._

He let himself fall back into the happy burrs as well. Ancient archmage or not, he was done with everything and still could not believe how things had turned around. Callum was on his side, willingly, and while he couldn't openly attack Xadia anymore he could still conquer it. For his son he would kill them with kindness. Manipulation was his forte anyway. Brute force attacks were the strategy of a barbarian. All he needed to do now was to gently nudge his boy towards the right path. Callum would be a weapon to take down such arrogant fools like his own father. He would bring a new age, of wonders and ingenuity, and Aaravos would make sure of it.

Then he looked to the small patch of grass where the special moonshadow was holding his unconscious son, and he saw the unbroken truth of what he had created. His legacy, and his dreams. 

* * *

And a little bonus: human Aaravos aka. Aaron casting some spells

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh big oof. So... I'm officially giving up on giving spell translations. If you are curious about them, I'll answer your questions, but I won't put them in the end notes anymore. Sorry


	18. However We May Fare

He was asleep. Or at least he thought so. After he had connected to the star arcanum, his birthright according to his elven family, telling dream from reality had become a guessing game. The place he was in did not feel like the afterlife, being lighter than air but thicker than water. It was like a dream about a long forgotten memory. As fractured as said memory seemed, Callum felt safe there. Then he saw Seerenos approaching to stand beside him. Callum pretended the sky was more interesting than his weird grandfather. When he had asked his mother to know more about his father, he didn't mean he wanted _this._

"I can not speak to you for long, but you must flee. Your father will no doubt try something different to mold you into what he wishes you to be." 

"Like you tried to do? Why should I trust you?" 

"Because I have seen what he can do." Seerenos turned around but Callum kept looking at the dream sky, "I lost my innocent little Aaravos long ago. Don't follow his path, young one." 

Callum shuddered, but only for a moment. Then he remembered how he was treated, and shook his head. His father had his bad side, and Callum knew that he only just scratched at the tip of the iceberg, but Seerenos wasn't any better. If he had to choose between the loving father he got to know and the cold grandfather, he knew which one he would go with. Both had problems. Neither was perfect. Callum knew he was between a rock and a hard place, but with Aaravos he at least has Rayla and his freedom.

Callum would take his chances with his morally grey father. His choice made, he was just about to tell his grandfather about his decision when the world around them started to blur. The once clear image of the ancient star mage became nothing more than fog in only a few seconds. Whatever Seerenos wanted to say was lost in the void, because Callum felt himself drifting somewhere.

Then he woke up.

* * *

_"oh my..."_

That was not even beginning to cover what everyone was thinking. It just did not do the current situation justice. It's unbelievability was only rivaled by its sheer amount of casual insanity. Callum had just opened his eyes to a curtain of white. He assumed it to be Rayla at first, then freaked out when he saw her sitting to his right. She was giggling, just to make everything even more confusing and weird.

"It would seem that the amount of star magic you were channeling left you a parting gift. Not that I personally object to it, but at this rate you won't need your glamour anymore very soon." 

Callum sat on a rock and glared at his father. With his newly star-bleached hair and human skin he could have passed as a moonshadow elf, if he wanted to. All he needed were the ears, but those could easily be hidden behind fluffy strands of hair. When these thoughts dared to ruin the mood, Rayla saved the day, and her lover's heart. It was an added bonus that Ezran smiled.

"Be it white or brown, you're still you. That's what matters. Besides, coming from someone who has seen only white hair all her life, you're rocking the look. No! Really, it suits you!" She told him with all the sincerest love she held for him. 

"Callum... I don't care what you look like, I love you for who you are, you dopey walnut."

They hugged each other, burying their faces into each other's hair until nobody could see where one started and the other ended. Soren also swore he could hear some soft hiccups and sobs from them. However, he chose not to comment on it. Ezran sent him a knowing look, and both decided to check out this one very interesting flower far away from the pair.

Aaravos was about to follow them when Callum's voice made him stop.

"Dad? We need to talk." 

Rayla squeezed his hand once more before she left as well. This was a family matter, and a messy one at that. She wasn't good at big feelings talks on a good day, but she would stay close enough to jump in should there be trouble.

"You... and Viren. You tried to kill Zym. You helped the guy who stole my voice, and then wanted me killed, to then attack Xadia. You, the loving father. Just... Why? How? I- argh! I'm confused, and scared and a bit hurt too. I just want to understand, why?" Callum rambled on, while Aaravos just took it. He had expected an explosion for a while now.

Finally his boy was done, now was his chance, "I do not lie. It's against startouch nature to do so. Callum, I was not well when I allied myself with Viren. The dragons and other elves took everything from me. They locked me away, improsoned me for eternity! All because I wanted to bring change, to level the playing field and let humanity stand beside elvenkind. Then they took my second chance from me, and my heart. I am sorry you and your friends were harmed, but I'm not sorry for lashing out." 

"Are you still going to destroy this world?" 

Aaravos hesitated for the briefest of moments, making a split second decision between two heart beats. He had been alone for so long, it was hard to work with someone else again. It was even harder to compromise and relent, but he would be a terrible hypocrite if he dismissed Callum just like that. Long ago he watched the dragons play god, he saw them decide who should live and who should die. It still made his blood boil. Besides, his son had a point, as innocently naive as it was. If he worded this right he could twist Callum just enough to make their paths and goals align.

"No. I never wanted to destroy it per say. I want to remake it, to create a better world. ... But I still wish to get my revenge on those who have wronged me." 

"That is a cycle, you know? You get revenge, they hit back, you hit back again... You want to change the world? Then let's break this cycle! I already- what's that on your hand?!"

There was nothing on his hand, but rather it was the appendage itself that looked odd. Faint lines of white scarred skin littered Aaravos's right hand like a spider's web. The elf in a borrowed body didn't seem too concerned about it, but Callum was freaking out.

"This body can't handle so much magic. It's breaking apart, just like the first one that I lost when I tried to protect your mother from Avizandum. Have I ever told you the story? Sixteen years ago a part of the border caved in and your mother was caught off guard. She fell into a crack on the Xadian side of it and the dragon king assumed she was a invader. That arrogant beast caught me when I used too much magic to allow Sarai to escape. That's why you had to grow up without a father." 

Callum still held a festering grudge against Zym's father in his heart, and this just turned these embers into a fire of hate, but he refused to let himself be consumed by them. Hate was a cycle. Hate only destroyed. Callum wanted to create new things, new friendships and wonders. So, instead of letting his father get to him, he jumped up to hug him. He wanted to spread love and comfort, instead of hate and vengeance. 

Aaravos let out a startled huff as Callum's full weight crashed into him. At sixteen he was far from the cute child of the wind he had been at the beginning of their adventure. What he didn't see with his face burrowed in his father's robes was the strangely out of place flicker of guilt in golden eyes. It only lasted for a single heartbeat however.

* * *

Claudia felt like she wanted to throw up. For some reason that she couldn't remember she had been in a storage room, and then passed out on the floor. A guard then found her there with a fever and immediately brought her to the royal doctor. 

The first thing she asked when she woke up was where her father was. Then she asked about her brother, but the only visitor the young witch got was lady Opeli. Soren was away on a mission, and her father... Claudia couldn't believe what she heard. Her father was a traitor, and murderer and a monster. Or at least that was what everyone told her. She didn't believe any of it. This was a misunderstanding, or a mix up. Someone was trying to ruin her beloved father's reputation. 

The days on her sickbed gave her time to think and plan. She knew dark magic was outlawed now, but she could still do alchemy. Disguising the smaller spells as alchemy was child's play for her. With that in mind, she decided to go out and find evidence to clear her father's name. Even though she couldn't remember much of what happened the last few years, she knew what kind of person her father was.

"Just you wait dad, I'll come for you. I promise, as soon as this flu is gone I'll bring you back home." She rasped while she looked at the clouds outside. 

Viren used to cloud gaze with them both when they were younger. Soren always saw mighty terrible monsters, while she thought almost all clouds were cute fluffy bunnies. This time however, the cloud above looked strange. It reminded her of her dad, but Viren didn't have claws. This was her fever talking, making her see things that were not true. The creature climbing into her room was a dream, a nightmare, and because of this she didn't resist it. She didn't fight when it picked her up and gently carried her into the cold dusky twilight sky. 

_"My little Claudia... what has that monster done to you?"_

It was certainly her dad's voice, but it was distorted. It sounded like he was trying to speak with a mouth full of thistles and water. The sounds echoing with an inhuman hiss that made her spine tingle through the still raging fever. Claudia didn't care. This was a dream and it was her dream. They even went flying high into the dark sky, making her squeal and humm in childish glee. 

But this dream was over far too soon. Her monstrous looking nightmare dad put her gently into a fluffy bed in an abandoned tower somewhere in the forest. He kissed her goodnight on her forehead, letting her feel his cold fangs touch her skin, but never hurting her. He was gentle, and caring. Her super scary dream dad. He watched over her while she fell asleep and it helped more than the bitter powder they call medicine. 

* * *

Far, far away Ibis landed on the tip of the storm spire. Thankfully the dragonguard was on patrol on the lower rings of the sacred mountain, so he didn't need to worry about running into anyone on his way to his queen. This information was for Zubeia, and only her. None else had to be involved for now. 

"My queen." He bowed as he entered the garden that was the dragon queen's lair.

"Ibis. You came back safely. How was your trip to Katolis?" 

"It was..." The skywing mage hesitated to continue at first, but convinced himself to tell her after a moment of internal struggling, "it was informative. You were right, your majesty. Callum is the direct heir of the fallen one. He's the son of Elarion's midnight star, as unbelievable as that may sound."

Zubeia let out a laugh which startled Ibis so much they his ears twitched. 

"Dear Aaravos is not what I would call father material, but I am happy for him. Maybe Callum can bring my old friend back..." 

"Uh... ?" 

"Tell me, Ibis, before Azymondias was returned to me what did I wish to do?" 

She wanted to kill. She wanted to rage, and bring ruin to all the human kingdoms whenever she was not crying. Ibis knew that, he was there when it happened. However, he kept quiet. Even as highest sky master of the spire he wasn't sure if he was allowed to speak freely to her majesty with the little majesty around. 

"You see, I had my suspicions for a while now. I hope Callum can heal Aaravos's dark heart like he has healed mine. Love is an incredibly strong emotion, and the love between a father and his son may just be enough to bring him back to his senses. It certainly brought me back from the dark place my mind had led me into." 

"If he's not corrupting Callum. No offense, my queen, but what if you are wrong? What if Callum can not reach out to Aaravos, and instead he gets influenced by him to turn against us?" 

Zubeia hummed solemnly as she turned around to watch her baby play with a fuzzy red flower, a pufferpoppy. 

"Have faith in them. Hope dies last, and love will prevail, my friend."

* * *

"I can't believe what I'm seeing..." laughed a shrill girly voice, much like a rusty door would sound.

He turned around, making his hair fly everywhere around him, but especially in his face. With so much white in front of his eyes it was hard to tell who was trying to talk to him now.

"Runaan of the Silvergrove. You. Are. Dead." Said the far too squeaky voice. 

"As you can see, I'm not." He barked back. 

"As rude as always. Yes, yes. It's you alright." a far too long fake sigh followed, "well, what are you up to here? Finally visiting the human kingdoms now that we can?" 

"Is it really true?" Fear flooded him. Up until now he had hoped it was just a trick, a terrible human strategy to lure them into a trap. When he saw that not five dozen moons had filled, but only two dozen, Runaan was sure that the festival he has seen earlier was a trap. How he was talking to another moonshadow, his kin. He would get the truth from her.

If he was not attracted to men, or married, he might have found her attractive. She had long white curls and pretty blue eyes, but her voice ruined it, as well as her personality. Runaan was sure he has never met her in his life. Oh, he surely would remember encountering something as cringe worthy as this lady bard.

"Oooh yes, honey-sweet. It is true, the war is over, but some still want to fight. For two years our people have been dancing with humans. ...oh dear, you don't look so good. Runaan? Do you wish for a massage?" 

Runaan was turning green in his face, he started to run away from this nightmare, hoping to reach the Silvergrove before the next moon rose up high. Ethari would know what to do. His home was human free, it was safe from this madness. 


End file.
